Rabbi Aaron Goldsheider presents Rabbi Kook's Insights into The Universal Meaning of The SHMAH

Heat. Heat. [Music] All right, we got a nice cover here. Check it out. Hey, how are you? Hey, Celeste. Nice seeing you. One for me right now. Yeah. Oh, you start. You want me to start? All right. Great. So, we're going to start in a minute. Would you like a source sheet? Yeah. Doroth. Yeah. There's some good stuff here. All right. Uh, I want to welcome everyone and uh it's a great pleasure to be here this evening with you. Yashiko for uh for being here and making the time to learn. This class is a class in prayer. And what we're going to be looking at this evening is uh the of creatur. And uh there's a lot to say about creat. And I'll begin this way actually. And uh that is with a Mishna that we find in Perkyos. Perkyo says that um that one should be careful in the reading of the Schma and in which is an interesting thing to find in Perkyos because Perkavo doesn't generally have that kind of uh those kind of directives. It's more about ethical teachings and uh about Musar but for some reason Pierote comes along and says that when it comes to the Schma when it comes to that one should be careful when they read it. And um from aic point of view when we read the we're supposed to have kavana and the rabbis say kazal say that when it comes to other parts of ideally you should have kavana but if you don't it's okay but when it comes to the schma they're not so uh they're not so lenient. They say that you need to have kavana when you read the schma and there are opinions that say that you do not fulfill your obligation. If you say the schma and you don't have in mind what you are saying that you have not fulfilled your obligation. The truth is you'd have to go back and you would have to say it again. And then there's a whole question of what is it that you need to be thinking about when you say the what does it mean when I say you should have kavana when you read the schma? Does it mean that you just are aware that you're saying the Schma, that you're fulfilling an obligation, or does it mean that you need to understand what you're saying to think about the words that you're saying that they're meaningful? So, I think we would all agree that the ideal is that when we say the words of the Schma that we actually have in mind what we're saying is here, O Israel, Hashem, the Lord is our God. Hashem, the Lord is one. and to be thinking about that. Now the question is, well, what does that mean? Here, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one. Okay, now I know kind of the translation, but what's really the meaning behind those words? So, what we're going to look at tonight is uh we'll see three or four. I'm not sure if we're going to get to five. we'll say three or four ideas from one of the greats of the last hundred years and that's revitakoenuk who is the first chief rabbi here in yushalime here in Israel before it was the state of Israel he dies in 1935 and we have a lot of beautiful teachings from Ravkuk on the sitter and we also because he wrote a commentary on the agadada on the non-hikic sections of garraote we also have a lot of his teachings and in braot the beginning of brahood we have a lot about kayachba so we have a lot of beautiful insights from ravkuk okay so I want to begin here I want to begin with uh with a statement that's made in the gamarra about the importance of reading the schma and the statement that's made in the gamarra the gamarra says that it's more important to say the schma than learning of Torah and if you're learning of Torah you have to stop the learning of Torah and you have to recite the schma now often Torah trumps any other mitzvah. We say that Torah is greater than any other mitzvah. And yet says the following and we'll this is the page one source number one. Greater is the reading of the recitation of the in its proper time. greater is reading the Schma than learning Torah. So how do we understand that and sort of in this the uh prioritizing and the balance of mitzvot? What is it about the schma that is more important than talora? So this is the way that RV cook interprets it. And again, I always when I when I study RV cook and we learn RV cook together, I always like to see the language of RVuk to appreciate his writings and not just to take my word for it, but for all of us to study it together and to appreciate what RVuk says. So this is what he writes and this is his analysis of the difference between Talma Torah and Creatma. What's the difference between Torah study and uh and recitation of the Schma? And why is it that the recitation of the Schma is is more significant is more important than the study of Torah? Here let's look at the words of when it comes to the study of Torah. When we study Torah, that is the placebo that every single person individually is that he acquires. What is it that we're doing when we study Torah? We are we are improving our ourselves. We're improving who we are as people. That's part of what it means to study Torah. And we're doing that right now. We're sitting and we're studying together. And with the study that we're doing, we're we're learning. We're improving who we are. Hopefully, we're going to when the next time that we recite the Schma this evening as part of Marv or Malamita that we're going to say it with with greater cavana, with greater intent. So, here we are. We're studying and we're improving. But RV cook says when we study often what we're doing is really studying for ourselves, right? We've all we've come tonight because we want to learn something. We want to gain something, want to benefit from learning. That's But there's something even greater and that is what the Torah when tamorra is something that the Jewish people join in together in study. And when we study to study Torah together in a unified way. Now when we think about creatma prayer or is it to some degree a kind of study of Torah or recitation of Torah? Creatma is not prayer even though it's in the prayer book. It's in the sitter and we think about as part of prayer but we're not praying right. We're not supplicating. We're not asking anything of God. What we're doing is that we are taking sections from the Torah. We're taking passages of the Torah and we're reading them. We're studying them to some degree. So what's the difference between regular study Torah and the Schma? When we recite the Schma, when we recite the Schma, we're actually all coming together and we're studying Torah together. Ravkuk says there's nothing as elevating and there's nothing that's more significant than when cloud Israel together studies together and that's what kachma is and in that sense katchma is greater than study study is individualized right study is every person and even as we're coming together as a class all of us are are studying and the benefit that we're all going to gain from that study on an individual basis but katchma is everybody that same text everybody together and actually the cookook points out that the gamarra says which means when you say thema at its time meaning there's one moment that the entire Jewish people all come together and they have that one text in front of them and they're all reciting that text they're all studying that text they're all thinking about that text and how powerful that is and it's more powerful than study of Torah why because study of Torah is individualized what is the schma thema also a kind of study. It's a it's it's taking a passage in the Torah and and reading it and understanding it and and making it meaningful, but we're doing it as a we're doing it as a and reading on now the entire nation together that we're all uplifted together to the very the very essence to the very root of life. at one moment. And again, it's a very beautiful idea. I don't we generally don't think about the Schma that way because we're just kind of again, I think we think about it that we're just saying the Schma. But when we're saying the Schma in the morning, all of Amisel is doing that. The entire Jewish people are all gathering together around that text around that around that passage from the Torah and we're all reading it together. Surviv Cook says there's nothing like when nothing like the power of Israel of the Jewish people all coming together um around the study of Torah. It's like the uh when they had the SMA shots when they do that every seven years and they have the highlights from that from uh Metife Stadium in New Jersey where they have 90,000 people 100,000 people in the stadium, right? That's Tmura. They're studying Torah and what an awesome event that is. They Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, right? There was a big nickame the other day. They said it was the highest price ticket for a basketball game ever in uh it's basically $1,000 for the the cheapest seat in the house. this uh this past I think it was on Saturday in New York. There's nothing like everyone getting together but getting together and that's where Cook says getting together for the study of Torah. That's the Schma. The Schma is the Jewish people all gathering around that text together all reciting it together and studying Torah together. What that does, it strengthens the bond of the Jewish people and that's greater than individualized study. So, it's an interesting way of thinking about the Schma. The Schma is the Jewish people gathering together and reading that text together um declaring their faith in Hashem together. And that's the power of the Schma. Now, the first time that the Schma was ever recited, the first time the Schma was ever recited, when was that? So, the Gumarra says the first time it was ever recited was when Yakov was passing away, when he was on his deathbed and he had all of his children come around his bed and he turned to his children and said to his children, "Are all of you believers? Do each of you believe in Hashem?" Now, by the way, I want to read that to you. This is And it says the famous he tells us about the first re this is source number two and he called all of his children and he said come together and I want to tell you about the future. He wanted to tell them about future days about a messianic day and somehow the the the very presence of God leaves him and he feels that something might be wrong that the fact that he's not able to share with his children. He kind of like loses a little bit of this nava of this prophetic vision. He feels maybe maybe something's off. So he what does he do? He says, "God forbid three lines down in source number two, maybe one of my literally one from my bed is absul meaning one of my children maybe they're not a believer. Maybe like Ishmael or my father that had an asov." So here we go. Amu loanav. So all the children turn to their father and they say Israel listen Israel Hashem is our God. When is the very first time that the sha was recited by the children of Yakov the tribes Ruv Shimon Ley Yehuda bin Yammen that all of them are standing around the bed of Yakov and they call out Shma Israel. And what is that a reference to when they say listen Israel in that context? Who's Israel? That's That's right. Aba. They're referring to their father. Listen, Israel is again we are believers. So, by the way, what do you see in this story in this episode? What is the schma about? The Schma is about the people, all the children coming together and declaring their faith in Hashem. That's Cookook says the power of the Schma. Learning is very beautiful, but learning tends to be an individualized that we do it. we sit down even with the kabooa even in the class it's limited but what is the schma what's so unique about the schma is that all of Israel is doing it together and the very first time that the schma was being recited was recited was when Israel represented by theatim the children of of of Israel of Jacob that they all declared their faith in Hashem so that's what happened and they said just as you father have a belief in one God. We also are believers in one God. At that moment, Jacob then said, by the way, that verse doesn't appear anywhere in Tanakh. What we say right after the Where does it come from? It comes from this episode. But it comes from Yakov who said those words after he heard his children all declare their belief in God. He said blessed is the name of God. His melik his maluto his kingdom should last forever and ever. So that is lesson number one about the Schma. What is the Schma? The experience of the Schma is the Jewish people coming together. By the way, one interpretation the Schma is this interpretation that the children are saying to Israel. But interesting when we say the what does it mean Israel? In other words, when we say Israel, we come to shul this evening, tomorrow morning, shabas. We're saying what what's listen Israel? What what are we saying when we say that? Talking to ourselves. We're talking to Well, I would say we're talking, we're not so much talking to ourselves because we don't say schma, we're Israel. We're okay. We're part of that, but we're saying we want Israel. I want my fellow Jew. I want everyone here in the room. I want everyone here in this community. I want everyone here in this city in this to hear that I am believer in God. We are talking. We're we're making this declaration. Interesting. It's not even to God per se. It's a declaration that we're making a statement that we're making to one another. We don't say hashem listen God that I believe in you. We say schma Israel listen my fellow Israelite. Listen my fellow Jew I am a believer. So we see as Rav Cook highlights that the Schma is about togetherness, right? It's about Israel. It's a moment that we take these sections from the Torah, these passages of the Torah, and with that we're declaring our belief in Hashem. So that is that's lesson uh lesson number about the Schma. Okay, let's look at a second lesson from Ravk about the Schma. And I'll ask everyone to turn the page to the top of page two. This is number second lesson where we're going to see and then we'll we'll we'll do one more. We'll do three ideas from Rivkuk. So this is another Garra that talks about the reading of the Tanya Sunkus Omar. This is one of the Amarim of the Garra by the name of Sunkos. He says the following. One who extends the word when you say if you extend that word that person will be too long days and a long life that's what he says now the question is why is that by the way I'll just point out that the does say the Rambam brings it in the Mishna Torah it's in the also that you're supposed to be that when you say that word that you're supposed to extend it you extend the a bit and you extend the data a little bit that and you probably have heard it could be that's your as well that when you say so that's an extension of that some do it even a little bit more than that but extend it a little bit so that's what the gamarra says you should extend it and the reward for extending it says the gamarra is that you're going to have a long life now the question is what does that mean like of all things you could say you get rewarded there's going to bear like what does that mean in particular that you're going to have long days and long years that you're going to be you're going to be uh gifted. You're going to have the reward of long life. So this is what this is the way the RV cook understands the uh the the gumar this passage in the gumar and let's read the words of cook and what is and what is the this reward what is it referring to the benefit of extending the word it's in order to embed to uh to root within the soul of a person that a person should understand that because if you understand that God is one that God oversees the world in his oneness everything that God created in this world created with a with a purpose and with with an elevated purpose if God by the way we talk about God being one and here cook is already giving interpretation it's not Not only that there's this one God in heaven somewhere but the one God means that there's a oneness there's a unity in this world that everything in this world has been created as part of a grand plan of God now if everything is part of that oneness of God of this plan of God it also means that we are part of that plan as well that we're not here by coincidence we're not here by chance that God has placed us here in this earth on this earth at this time to be a player to be to take part and that we have a particular mission to fulfill is part of our time here in this in this world. We weren't created 100 years earlier. We weren't created 100 years from now. Our nishama was placed in us and we are brought here in this world for a particular purpose. So we think about God being one. It's not only that God is one, that there's one God in heaven. It means there's a oneness. There's a unity and that we are part of that great unity. We're part of that plan of God. that we have to recognize that we have a great mission to fulfill every single person and therefore therefore you're going to have length of days and years so that you can you can accomplish great things for this holy purpose that you have in this world. So this is the way the Ravuk understands the idea of when you say the word and you extend that word. Extending it means that you now take a moment to think about what that is all about. Is not just that God is one. It's sort of like a simplistic way of thinking about it that there's one God in heaven. It's it's more than that. Much more than it's very profound that there's a oneness to everything in this universe. We're part of that oneness. We're part of that great plan of God. And here's another sheet if you like. And um and therefore why is it that the reward is that we have length of days a long life. What it means is when you recognize that you have a particular role to play now your days and your years are very very significant and you take them seriously and it maybe means that God will even give you a longer life that there's a lot there's a lot for you to accomplish if you recognize that there's a lot that you need to accomplish here. So God so God says to that person who recognizes that uh that that role that that they're going to play that that person needs to be here in order to to fulfill all that uh all that he or she is here to fulfill in this world he said that before Rashy Kipper in the month before before the yadin he says you should start doing a lot of for other people you should add a lot of a lot of acts of kindness sort of get involved in people's lives and do more for people. So why is that? So he said because when Rashana comes and the Yomadin and God is kind of making a judgment, should I give him another year on this earth? So he'll say God is going to look down and say, "Well, he's involved in this person's life and he's doing so much for this one and he's involved in this. How can I take him from the world now? He I need him there, right? He's doing so much. she's fulfilling you know so so uh so many important functions and his he's taking his role in this world very very seriously. So I think that's sort of cook has in mind as well. So that's what it means when we say we should have in mind and here's a kavana that we can have when we say the again not only that god is one but there's a oneness of the universe. I'm part of that oneness. I'm part of this great plan that god has. I've been placed on this earth at this time to fulfill a particular mission that I have. And when I think about that, that's part of what it means to say that God is one. That I'm part of that unity. And and uh and the reward will be that you will have long days and long life. Why? Because you need because you now need those those days and life and long life in order to fulfill your mission here on this earth. Okay, that is lesson number two. and a cavana a very beautiful kavana that we can have. Now we go to one more idea from Ravkuk um and this is if you want to look at it page two and it's source number three. Now one of the things that we know about katchma which is a really fascinating thing which we don't generally have when it comes to a mitzvah is that we do it two times. There are two different times that we do it. We do it at night and we do it in the morning. That's a little bit out of the ordinary like there's usually you have a mitzvah and a mitzvah to fulfill and you do it one time and that's and you're done. You put on fill in you keep the day of Shabbat. You take a lava and an estrog whatever maybe you sadded you do it once and you're done. You would think isn't that enough by the way just so one time why do you have to do it two times and what does that really represent these two the two times that we do creatma the night and the morning. So there are probably many many answers many ways of looking at it but RV cook offers the following interpretation and here RV cook thinks about the schma sort of in a in a national and a global way which I'll you'll you'll see in a moment. So this is again let's go to let's go to the source and read a few words from RVuk a few lines from RV cook. This is source number three on page two and there's an alf if you want to follow along in the language of a cookook actually it's not often cook's language is very challenging here it's very straightforward this is one of the early things that he wrote by the way they say when he come when he came to Israel he like he like went into a different sphere like his writing becomes very mystical very poetic he's a young man he's living in Lithuania he's like writing in a way that we can understand Rivk Cook so in The olive right after the bold it says the that's here we go. We have the creation of the night and we have of the morning. There are two types of calling out or recitation of the bashem is two times a day. We have the night schma. We have the morning schma. They represent two different ways in which we call out our faith in God. Interesting. Two. It's not the same. You probably thought it was the same the night one. I just got to do it right. I got to do it at night. Got to do it in the morning. Cook says you should think about them differently and they are different from one another. Number one. What isma? One type of creatur. And this the garamar says is the famous line about keshma then and this is a kavana by the way that we all need to have. It's not only enough just to believe like to express declare our belief in god but that we're by the way some point out that shin read the other way is mal shay. You got it. But reading the other direction that's the mal shaman. So that's what we're supposed to be thinking about when we read the schma. Accepting upon ourselves the yoke of heaven. Meaning not only that I believe in God, but to believe in God means that I have to devote myself to his will. I have to surrender to his will. I have to keep mitzvot every mitzvah as as best as I possibly can. That's what we're supposed to have in mind. That's a kabana that we're supposed to have in mind. So that's one kind of kavana says that we are for ourselves for us personally and as a as a people and this is the other kind of schma that we the other message of the when we accept upon ourselves the mitzvot kash He says something fascinating here and that is one kind of schma is that we accept upon ourselves and as a Jewish people we're accepting upon ourselves mitzvot but there's another creatur there's another calling of God's name of recitation of God's of belief in God and that is that we want to bring this message to all mankind. We're not satisfied just having God and the ethics and morality and mitzvot for us. We want everyone to know about it. A Jew wants to change the world. Wants the world to be a better place. Wants a world to be a place that's infused with the light of God and the light of Torah. So the schma of the night, he says, is a more insular kind of schma. That's the schma that's more Jewish people oriented. But as the sun comes up in the morning, what does that sha represent? It's a call to everyone. And Rafuk says that sun coming up in the morning, he says that darkness is like the galut. The long galut we've been in is like the dark night. It's been a it's been a dark night in many ways for the Jewish people. But as we're coming back to the land of Israel, we can now, excuse me, we can now begin to think about how to bring that light to all mankind. Now, by the way, this sounds like a bit of a radical idea. I mean, it sounds a little bit surprising, right? Is that really what did you ever hear that? Did any rabbi ever tell you that when you say the schma, you should have in mind that there's a message here of bringing God to the entire world. That sounds like that's like a ruk something kind of radical. But here we are. I want you Yeah, I'll take your question or comment in a moment. There's one comment that Rashi makes on the Schma. If you go to the Torah and you look at the line of the Shma, if you look at the line of the Schma, so Rashi has one comment on the Schma. Now, by the way, if Rashi gives an interpretation to the Schma, would you say would you agree that that's something that we should have in mind when we say the Schma? It's not a not a Zohar. It's not like a midrash somewhere. Rashy's interpretation of the Schma. So, here we go. Look at what this is Rashi's interpretation of the Schma. And again what we should have in mind when we say this rashi hashem eloku this is from this is where it appears in the Torah eload hashem God who is our god now the elote and he is not known to the nations of the world in the future he will be one god For then I shall change I shall change the nations to speak a clear language a prophecy all will call out in one name in the name of God. And here's a puk that we all know from the end ofu according to rashi when we say what is it that we're supposed to have in mind this is rashi Israel here. Oh Israel, right? I'm speaking to the community, those around me, to the Jewish people. I believe in God Israel, the Lord is my God. The Lord is my God. It's our God, the God of the Jewish people. But we're not satisfied with that. We want everyone to know the oneness of God. That's what it means, Hashem. That there should be one God for all mankind, for all of humanity, that everyone across the board, every every human soul across the universe will know the oneness of God. That's what Rashi says. That's how Rashi interprets the Pukma Israel. So again, and that's what Rufuk says. Rufuk says that there's two parts of the Schma, and we can think about them as the Nichma. The nichma kind of emphasizes or it symbolizes the idea of of a more insular Jewish people. A Jewish people, yes, that we need to have faith, that we need to have that commitment to Hashem. But as the sun rises in the morning, that second schma, what does it represent? It represents that we have a message to share with the entire world and we want the entire world to believe in Hashem as well. So that's quite a kavana and again this is that's Rash's interpretation and I would suggest to all of us and to myself as well that when we say the schma there are many things that we can think about we can fulfill the mitzvah in many ways but this certainly is one interpretation it's Rash's interpretation that tonight when we say the shma tomorrow morning when we say thema and we think about what is it that we're saying I believe I'm calling out to Israel Israel I want every Jew to know that the Lord is my God but I want this God to be a God that everyone knows. I want a world of that everyone will know the ethics of the Torah, the goodness of God, that everyone will be a believer in Hashem. That's the messianic vision. So, this is the Schma contains that great messianic vision of the Jewish people which hopefully and Rafkuk believe that we're getting closer to that. And he said, 'You know what? For a long time, we've been not we have not been able to really teach that part of Judaism. And we've sort of downplayed that part of Judaism because we just we weren't able to really to to talk about teaching others. We've just been trying to survive. We're just trying to hold on to faith. We're running from country to country. We've been persecuted and all the violence and we're just trying to hold on to Judaism. But as we're coming back to the land of Israel, we can begin to share that message with others. And maybe that's maybe that's beginning to unfold that we have uh that the whole world is looking to us. Everyone is everyone is is analyzing what's happening in Israel. I mean it's it's gone on for a long time but it's an opportunity and maybe maybe the time is ripe for us to begin to share that message to uh to the entire world. Did you want to make a a comment or Yeah, please. I wrote it. What? I wrote it. You wrote it? Yeah. Can I read? Yeah, please. Please. Before the rabbi said people supposed to be a light for the Gentiles, a light for the nations, right? For all the Gentiles. Correct. H I think his wrote his rabbi of Germany. Rabbi who? Rabbi H. Oh, Rabbi Hirs. Yeah, Rabbi Hirs. Samsonville. Yeah. Holic the meaning of he said that coming through Adam that means that a Jew has first to be an Adam. Good. And then a Jew. Uh-huh. Now that doesn't go well with what you said. Why? because he said that we need to come to Israel and then be an inspiration of the Gentiles. Now if he said that we need to be first in Adam and then Israel in order to be inspiration for the gentile be among them to be inspiration that we have to be among them. Can I just say as you repeat? Yeah yeah yeah next time quiet. So no no no. So I I if I understood the question correctly um Sam Silverfellow seems to suggest that we need to be sort of amongst the among the other nations in order to inspire them and um so what does it mean when Raf Cook is suggesting that only once we come back to the land of Israel that we can be that that great inspiration. So I first of all I would say there there may be different opinions and RF hers may take that you know that side and and uh RF cook would take the other position but I would say this I think we we have we we really have not been successful and it's and as I intimated I think it's it's almost impossible it's been impossible for us to be successful on that front to be the light to the world living in the galut living in exile where we've been persecuted. We just it's it's it's it the um opportunities and the ability for us to have uh to influence and to impact others has been limited. I mean, it's been a I would say this also, it's been we we've been there for 2,000 years. And I'll ask I'll ask you, how successful have we been as a people in spreading the message of Judaism? Again, we're not talking about converting others. We're talk, we're not talking about converting others, but sharing the wisdom um inspiring people to Chev Noah of living the seven Noahide laws. How successful have we been not in a hundred years but 2,000 years? I would say we haven't been very successful. In other words, if Rhers makes that argument that we should be do that that's what it means to be in Galut. It could be he makes that argument and maybe we maybe a time will come where we can be successful. But 2,000 years have gone by without a lot of a lot of success. I think that I think we would kind of we could agree to that. Yeah. Yeah. Please. I think it depends on how you look at it. Do you could you assume that I've been directly successful where people have kind of influenced the uh the environments and at least until very recently does uh but but she's no influence now winning Nobel prizes and so on numbers totally [Music] unfortunately Muslim basically They uh uh took a off us. They uh their religions are based on our on that that's correct. But I don't think we've been able to um to be a light to those other religions in uh we we haven't been successful doing that in the exile. Right. Correct. Yes. Please. If I could just say that I think there's also no real argument. there's if there's a need for galut because of our sins, Hashem also found that's a way for us to influence the go whether as you said at least individually and whether it's but I think on a greater scale even in societies uh as uh Ken Spiro in word word perfect said 2,000 years ago you know if you held up a sign do not murder in front of the coliseum you would be lunch so you know on a certain scale we have Jewish people introduced the concept of Msiah that's why you have Christianity in Islam we have had a major influence you know on Shabbat whether there's some kind of break humanity has offer weekends so much that we have don't downplay it at the same time that's called plan B because it goes plan A is in the land of Israel where we could be a greater light that I think that's great I think yes the way you express is Beautiful. Yes. So that's it. That's that's more of what we would say is a bid, right? It's not ideal. We've done what we what we've done what we what we can outside of the land of Israel. But Rafuk believed and I think there's a lot of truth to that today, which we almost take for granted that the world looks to Israel and to the Jewish people and they're judging us, but they're also learning from us, right? They're seeing an ethical army. They're seeing and again, we we need to be a great people here as well. I mean that's the that's the great challenge that we have the great responsibility. Yes, we need to be the great people that the world is going to look at and say and say that's the kind of society we want, right? That's the kind of kindness that we can learn from. That's the kind of government, right? To see how people interact and the respect. Now, we don't we haven't we're not always perfect on that front and we have a long way to go, but that's what it means to build a great society here in Israel that the rest of the world is going to say that is that's the role model, right? That's the paradigm. That's the that's the perfect society that we want to emulate. So that's that's sort of Cook believes is possible and hopefully we're we're on the road to that. Let me just uh just to conclude. I think we're where we time wise. Five minutes five minutes. Okay, good. So I'll conclude with the following which is uh just an interesting vort that uh that kind of highlights the idea that we just focused on by the way again and I think there's these are ideas that we can that we can take with us when we say to think about to think about this idea that Rashi presents and that that Rafuk presents that when we say that we that we want to take that we that we believe in God and we want this message to be a message for not only for the Jewish Jewish people for all mankind. What a beautiful idea that is as we that's what Rashi says we should have in mind when we say the Schma. What a beautiful idea that is to say as we say the Schma to think about to think about that. So one of the other interesting sources that we know about the Schman, it comes from the night of Pesak at the seder are the students that come into the uh into that famous seder with Rab and Rab Tar and they say Rabbi Shakar it's time to say the Schma. Now one of the questions that's asked on that I don't know if you ever thought about that. Why do they say it's time to say thema? Why don't they say it's time to daven Shakaris, right? It's time to begin davening, right? Why is Schma in particular? So, one of the interpretations that's given, this is a rabbi, he lives in Israel today, Rabbi Ruv Sasson. He actually is uh considered to be one of the great expositor teachers of teachings of Rafuk. And in his hagada, he has the following interpretation. We'll we'll conclude with this and I'll just read a few lines from from his hagada from Ruven Sasson. There's really a a deeper idea here that should be understood when the students came in and said it's time for the secret of the we recite in the morning. What does it represent? It represents the revelation of God in the final gula. Now we talk about gula. We have gula, the redemption from Egypt, the salvation from Egypt. But that's not that's just the beginning of the process. The ultimate gula, the goulashma is when the Jewish people come back to the land of Israel and when the Messiah comes and there's going to be peace in the world and that the entire world will know the oneness of God. So what were the students saying to their rabbis this long night that they were studying the hagada? They said it's time for creatur. In other words there was this whole night that we're discussing Pesak and the story of Pesak. That's just a prelude, right? That's just an introduction to the ultimate gula. It's time for the schma. What do they mean? It's time for the schma. It's time for us to declare two minute war. It's time for us to declare that there is God and a God that's going to bring for all mankind, right? That all mankind is going to know the oneness of God. That's what the students were saying. Not only yes, on a simple level, it's time to say the Schma, but sort of the more profound idea and what the audit that's the beginning of the process. What's the ultimate redemption? What's the ultimate schma? It's a schma that the entire world that there's going to be a transformation. The whole world is going to know the oneness of God. And let me just uh we'll just read the last words here. Gu is uh is symbolized by the morning is accepting the kingship of God. When we say the morning, it's a hint. It represents the secret of the ultimate redemption. Our rabbis were coming to teach you that the story of telling the story of leaving Egypt and of the night that brings a great light. That's the beginning of the process. The final the the the the uh the final stage what it is that we're praying for is the goulash ma. So this I think is really like a it's a very very profound idea. I think it's a new idea that we we probably have not that we don't think about when we're saying the schma. I'm not saying you have to have this in mind every time you say the schma, but it's a it's it's something that we could add to the repertoire of what is it that we're thinking about as we say the according to rashi according to that when we say the schma we should be thinking about accepting upon ourselves that we're accepting upon ourselves mitzvot belief in God but you know what we're not satisfied that we have it we're not satisfied that I have it that my community has it but we want everyone to have it we Not the whole world. We want to the Jewish people want to change the world. We want a world that's going to be at peace with one another that knows what it means that believes in God that believes in morality. We want that. That's the battle. That's the battle cry. And that's what we say every day. And that's what is all about. So these are a few ideas about uh about creatur. And uh if we can take some of these ideas again it's nice to talk about them sort of as a you know theoretically or hypothetically and to learn about it but to try to bring it into our crema so that when we recite the we have a deep kavana that's the ideal and that's what it says in the Mishna says that person that you should be here that you should be careful in the reading of the and in one gear it says even more so than because something that we do you know sort of automatically we need we pray for things requires additional kavana when we say it. So these are some ideas that we can bring to our schma and uh yash to everyone. Thank you Rabbi Poston for the opportunity to teach continued here in Ian. Let's pray for rabbi flags and all the we pray for the kayim. We pray for the uh the captives that they should come home. Those that are kidnapped and all our should be safe and we should be z to the gulma to say the with that prayer of the ultimate redemption. [Music] Amen. Heat. Heat. [Music] So much