Va'eschanan: How To Use Krias Shema To Connect to The Ultimate Sacrifices of the Kedoshim

This Torah class is brought to you by tora anytime.com. >> Okay. So, this is these are the closing moments of tishab. Uh we hope uh we were successful in trying to be mav properly. Um I'm not going to be here Wednesday night. So this is going to be a shir on but on not everything you could say on tish. So I try to come up with a subject that's suitable for vasan and is also suitable for tishab and um so I want to speak about the following subject. We know that as shishi in vasan let's make the volume lower shishi in vasan we have the par of which is uh interesting and important to know that in the para toward the end of the param gave the Indian of which I think is very much uh important to uh take note of. So I want to discuss tonight how um in analyzing the tragedies of tishab what could we do about it and how can we elevate ourselves and add meaning to all of these events that occurred throughout history there's an amazing safer written by thebahal called which is basically a uh a compendium about the holocaust and a very um perplexing question and a very painful question that he addresses in Haruga is the issue of these. Can we call them that those who perished in the holocaust? We like to say that they died alkesh when in fact if upon further analysis yes certainly who could imagine uh what kind of terrible suffering that they endured but nevertheless is it correct to say that these people did die ales did they die ales even though it's sort of the unspoken um maximal we like to say the kadoshim But not everybody agrees that just because somebody dies because they're a Jew automatically are they dying aldeshm. So for example was asked um are those who perish in the shawah automatically considered have to have died and there's a and said no not necessarily and this is a question that's really troubling and very painful to the schol because we know that the mitzvah of kashm is one of the very basic mitzvah in the tyra in fact the ram writes in it's Number two on your sheet that those who are killed by the government on the third fourth line those who are killed by the government we have a tradition about them it said for for your cause we were killed all day were considered like sheep for the slaughter about them it says gather for me my devout ones, those who I have made a covenant with. So from here we learn that so to speak has a covenant with the Jewish people based on their willingness to give up their life. I mean if you want to know the treaty the the the bond between the andal is what is that bond based on it's based on the fact that we are willing if push comes to shove to give it all up for the otherwise there's no bond it's just a convenient deal the gave us mitzvah and he said I'm going to reward you so very good when it works out for us we're willing to keep the mitzvah but what's the bond what's the bris the bris with the is only that when push comes to shove we're willing to give up our lives Shashem and then says what's so painful to him is these six million who perish did they in fact die ales because he says to be considered to have died you need to have a choice if somebody just comes and kills somebody why would they have died means that you're you're declaring that is more valuable than your own life, right? What's the sanctific? Why because somebody dies is it aes and then they died. So that's if anything it's how is it why do we consider it a if somebody dies for the sake of because that person has made the choice to put the above his the value of his own life. But that's only if a person has a choice. If a person has no choice, he's not placing God above their life. somebody has made that choice for him. So the shalom says in his opinion someone who's killed against their will cannot be considered have to have died unless they're given the choice. If the Nazi comes and says look you have two choices. You could keep yourself alive and join the Nazi party or we're going to kill you for because of your god. So if you're willing to give up your life, what you're doing is you're placing the value of God above the value of your own life. If that's a keshashem, you're sanctifying hashem's name. But if a comes and kills a Jew, how is that akish hashem? Says shalom. In his opinion, that's not a kiddes. Furthermore, furthermore, says shalom. It can only be considered a kdese if there's a certain level of awareness. Meaning, you know that you're dying because you're a Jew. Well, what about Jews who didn't even understand what it meant to be a Jew? How could you say they died? What about a Jew who didn't know what Tyra was, what God is, what what what amuna is. How did they die ales? They didn't die alkadesh. There was no level of awareness of even the the concept of sanctifying God. You have to at least know there's a concept of kadeshm to have died alkadesh. Furthermore, says it could only be considered a kadesh if you wanted to die for the sake of God. But what if given the choice you would have preferred not to die? There were many Jews who would have said you know what give me the choice I'll convert but they weren't given the choice. So says how could you say a Jew who died because he's a Jew who would have preferred to convert had he been given the choice died. Now it says in of course there were who prepared themselves mentally and went through the proper frame of of mind and thought about these ideas that they're actively giving up their life. But for the most part, Jews were just mowed down without any preparation, without any thought, without any hak, without any choice, without ever any level of consciousness. And then they just died and their death says the niv shalom seemed to have been empty. So the niv shalom addresses this very fundamental issue by quoting a garland in number 10. And based on the way the rebisha explains this garra, this is something he once said over um and the time when when the Pittsburgh massacre occurred, the says like this. You have to read carefully the words of the gar. The garra says like this, the Jewish people are holy. Some people want to give but they don't have. There are a lot of people like that. I wish I could give to the new building $5 million. What could I do? I don't I can't. I wish a lot. Everybody wishes. Everybody wishes but they can't. Fine. Very nice. So, all Jews are holy. Some wish they could and they can't. Right. Some Jews could and they don't want to. So, Tyus asks, I understand who wants to but doesn't have the resources, he's holy. But a Jew who has the resources but doesn't want to, how is he holy? Here, imagine here's a Jew. He's a he's a mega millionaire and he has money. He doesn't want to give it. So how is he a sois? Someone who has the resources and doesn't want to give is still called holy. He gives the money out of embarrassment. Meaning he has the resources but he doesn't want to give it. So why is he holy? Cuz he gives it anyway. Why does he give it anyway? He's embarrassed. This guy gave money. That guy gave money. the other guy gave money. So, I'm giving out of embarrassment. I really wish I didn't. I wish I didn't have to. But I'm giving it against my will, out of shame. I have it. I don't want it, but I'm considered holy because I give it anyway. So, the Rebusha asks, "Why is the guy holy? He doesn't want to do the mitzvah." So, you want to say, "We'll give him, fine, we'll give the guy. We'll give him." But how is he holy? He's not holy. He has money. He doesn't want to give it. He's only giving it because he's embarrassed not to give it. Why is he holy? He should not be considered holy. That's the kash of the rebisha. Here you have a guy. He wishes he didn't do the mitzvah. So let's introduce the following principle. Mak says when it talks about the construction of the mishkun that bay is did the mishkun. said ben didn't make the mishkun but salah made the mishkun mosha made the mishkun there were many people who donated but not everybody made the mishkan so it says this is a general question gave us 613 mitzvo the problem is you know we need to do all of them because we have 248 limbs and to breathe life into them we have to do 248 mitzvo and we have 365 senus and to keep them alive we have to avoid violating the 365 negative commandments with The question is how can any single Jew fulfill all 248 mitzvah? I'm not a cyen. So there there goes like you know hundred of them. I'm not a ley. There's certain mitzvah only a woman could do. There is no Jew there were never in the history was a Jew who was ever able to fulfill all 613 mitzvah. Yet we know that the vitality the spiritual vitality of a Jew is dependent on the fulfillment of the whole Tory. So how could any fulfill all 613? But the answer is that the only way to is as one unit if you're part of the entity of the Jewish people. So I'm fillin and she's shabas and he's carbon and he's everyone through everyone's specific circumstance and scenario contributes their mitzvah and then the collective entity of Israel is mim 613 mitzvah says the rebush he was bothered on thisus he never understood tous what and how could say that a guy who has money doesn't want to give the money and gives it against his will because he's embarrassed is called a kadesh until came to in a dream and he explained to the rebush let me explain to you what I mean you know what the garra means I'm not a kadosh and you're not a kadesh either there's no one in the sh who's a kadosh and there's no one in any sh who's a kadesh are the entity of Israel. If you belong to that entity, you're a kadesh. If you don't belong that to that entity, you're nothing. So I listen to this. I I don't have the resources. But I want to give saddaka. You have the resources. You don't want to give saddaka and you do it anyway. So my my desire to give saddaka and your empty act of giving saddaka which by itself is worthless join and fused together to create a beautiful perfect mitzvah of the together with the thought and the desire to to do you know what it means means that everybody contributes something to the entity of the Jewish people and together we're able to fulfill the mitzvah in the most beautiful way. So you do the ma mitzvah of giving stuck even though you don't want to do it and you're doing a kicking and screaming. I want to give I don't have the resources to give and together we're to create the 613 mitzv says this is the concept that explains the holocaust. There were many Jews who were killed. They had no awareness. They didn't want to be killed and if they would have had the choice they would have reneggged and maybe even some of them would have converted but they're all kadoshim. You know why they're all kadoshim? Because there are other yidden who maybe survived. And there's an important concept and we said this last year and we said this other times and it's worthwhile repeating because it's relevant twice every single day of our life. The says infraesa that you have to say shama with fear, with awe, with trembling, with sweat. Raise your hand if you tremble when you say shama. You tremble when you say shama. Do you sweat when you say shama? Do you shake when you say shama? Are you frightened when you say? Why in the world do I need to be scared and trembling and frightened and sweating? Why should I sweat when I say shama? You know why you should sweat when you say shama says the rash that when a person says they need to be mabel upon themselves that if ever put to the ultimate test they would give up their life. Not only that when you say you should imagine yourself experiencing now that's not a comfortable thought that's a very frightening thought some even write you should imagine all while you're saying the but at the very least the the raja writes on the Is it possible to be killed every day? Yes. Every day. When we say shama, we accept upon ourselves that if ever put to the ultimate challenge, we would give up our lives. And we actually imagine ourselves being when we say that's why you're supposed to say the you know why you're supposed to sweat when you say cuz you're picturing yourself in a fire giving up your life. Otherwise what so you say what who says you have to do this the notra there's not a good practice it's a requirement so it's ara bess says the why because So takish has a frightening experience. You know say that someone who's careful when they say shama they cool off for them. You know why? Because the correct way to say shama you've already gone through the fire. You don't have to do it again. If you say shama properly, you know, you've already your your statement you've been so heated up by saying shama you've already traveled through there says in shalom those who died in the holocaust whether they were had consciousness whether they were aware whether they knew what it meant to be a yid even if they did it kicking and screaming and they would have preferred not to do it at the end of the day they died. Yeah, but they had no kavana. Yeah, but that survivor when he said he was that he would accept upon himself the ultimate challenge and he would give up his life. Therefore, meaning those who died and those who have the right kavano there, the kavana and the fused together to create the perfect act of kdesh hashemma with the proper awareness with the proper choice. Meaning the person who says is saying I would choose to give up my life if put to the ultimate test. And therefore the of and the of fused together and they join up. So anyone who died did not die in vain. If someone died in the holocaust, did they die alashm? It's up to you, not up to them. It's up to the survivor. So we discussed, you know, the Pittsburgh massacre. Did they die? If you said a proper crema, they died. They did what they had to do. Now it's on us. It's upon us to do what we need to do. So it come out even somebody who wasn't religious and someone who wasn't observant and someone who said to the German do me a favor I would rather be one of you. He died aldeshm because there were survivors who would recite a kesha who are mabel upon themselves to put to the ultimate challenge would give up their life aldeshm. So it comes out that between 1939 and 1945 there were six million incredible akados regardless of what any one of them was thinking through the combined acts of now in a way people might say this trivializes what they did because you know it's really because of the survivors. No, you know they we're not we're not in any way trivializing the death of of the kadoshim because they did they suffer. they really suffered. But says Shman to his mind this is the only way to explain and to give meaning to the deaths of Yidden who perhaps had no awareness at all. And he says this gives special meaning to holocaust memorial or on every shabas when we say abarim and we remember those who died in 1648 1649 or those who died in 104 in 1096 of what purpose is it to sit around in shabas morning after MS or before Musf and say to remember those who perished in 1648 649 of what benefit is it The benefit is it's an avoid it's a responsibility that we have that when we remember those who died in Jewish tragedy. It is incumbent upon us to think to ourselves that if we were ever put to that ultimate challenge, we would accept that and by having those it elevates it connects it fuses together our to their and it then brings the the highest acts of otherwise what are you saying for chabas morning the dra is over it's almost choling time Why do you need to say? The answer is to give us the opportunity to have a in the mitzvah of and then the shalom says something absolutely incredible. He says, "We look in our generation and we see the renaissance of Tyra the likes of which we've never seen. We have canara today a generation of benetra people committed to tamatra yum valila the level of learning it's unheralded in Jewish in Jewish history to have so many thousands and thousands of people learning full-time and to have so many thousands of dedicated or have a renaissance ofus in the world with courts ofus the likes of which we never saw. How how were we to this in such a short amount of time? The way we have these shivas we have today we never had Shiva and Lakewood I don't know 5,000 students the surah 8,000 it's like how are we to it in such a short amount of time the answer is says because there were 6 million ais only 70 years ago and each Jew that died his his death was such an aa because Regardless of who he was and what Madrego he was on and what he was thinking through the through the collective of Israel that when a yid says the Israel and his mab upon himself that if put to the ultimate challenge he would give up his life that infuses every single act of toes in the highest form says there is no question that the renaissance of that we've experienced today be it in the be it in Be it in Jewish life in general and not just in spiritually, financially, physically, the success of Israel today, there is no question that is in the merit of 6 million aas that transpired only 70 years ago. Can we then suggest that in the aftermath of tishab we read today about 1.1 million Jews who were who were killed alkesh we read about the destruction of the second bdash we read about six million Jews who perished in the holocaust thousands of Jews who were killed in the times of the crusades so you say okay so what do we have to do with it what's Our job our job is just to read the and remember no says right after says you know what your job is that when you say at the very least if you're alive the very least you could do is supply the to all of that Jewish tragedy thousands of years thousands of yidden millions of yidden if you're fortunate enough to be alive says I'm giving you a mat the mat is by saying with the proper and this is not again this is not a this is when you say it has to be with the put to the ultimate test you give up your life that's why says that's all I'm telling you you need to do so if a Jew is paran of and is able to utilize the objective of they then can use their and fuse together like when we say anarim and you so to speak connect to the greatest that has that means really twice a day a person thinks back and says you know what I'm fortunate enough to be able to connect to kesm with a mere recitation of shama by thinking to myself and supplying the kavana supplying the rat sign to all the great acts of that were done in our history. I believe that is another reason why parasan comes in the aftermath of tishav because after we've sort of incorporated into our minds into our hearts all of this Jewish tragedy is giving us a way to to connect with that to cleave to that to be misdiab to to some small degree add if you could say such a thing add to the collective of Israel because and as the mag told the mag told the b that he's going to he's going to be shame and the b always thought that meant he's going to die but he didn't mag didn't realize that what the what the um the didn't realize that what the meant was that he's going to live his life in the that a person has twice daily when they say the kesh could add a very very special degree of keshashem to the collective merit of the Jewish people and if we're to tap into that merit like the shalom says the same way so to speak our generation has been to the greatest boom boon spiritually physically in the history of the Jewish people that's in the merit of kesm the more you're able to be to the collective that would be a tremendous for us for our families and we should only to be the >> You've just experienced another Torah class brought to you by to anytime.com.