Bereshis - Let’s Begin!

Good afternoon. Over the years, like we've we've this to get to learn for a few minutes with the guys. It's always been like a question what to call the seder. I never love the term is good. There's such a thing called the muservad. That's not really how I saw what we're doing. We're learning Tyra and the name of the seder arhi I could hear and it's important to it's important to give it a name because it's not just a nothing a name defines what you're trying to do I started as I'm getting older I like hakdamus more and more this year I spent like I I try to spend a fair amount of time learning the act of the Ramban onish learning the actum of other isim Dama the introduction to are important. They like define and explain what we're trying to do. I value a lot. I take very serious the initial meetings with guys who apply to the yeshiva. I put a lot of time to the point that kids get upset. I'm here three years and this guy's getting two hours, three hours. But I take very serious that initial meeting. That's like act. It's an introduction and I'll I'll spend two hours with a guy even sometimes three an hour and a half two hours. I consider it worthwhile because I want his introduction to here. I want to like explain what we're doing, what we're trying to do, what the game plan is here, what's happening here. That's a that's an introduction which I think is very important. I like reading hakama increasingly as I get older. I want to know what the author was trying to do with his work. Hakamas are important. So, so like it's funny like the name of this sader is not like a nothing. Who cares what it's called? Let's just But what are we trying is what we're trying to do. I do want to express that during the weeks of say forcious. I want to learn borious with the I have such a good feeling to Mo Mueller. Mo Mueller learned in the yeshiva and put out a safer things he heard and things he learned. I'm so appreciative that the safer that came out other guys are writing things but I'm very appreciative that the safer that came out on safer bracious because to me one of the most precious things I got in my life from my rebi is I was on safe. My rebi had a shir that went for years that went literally for years. He started from boracious like a I think a couple of years later. I don't want to say exact I don't it's me it's over it's 30 it's 30 years ago but it was months and maybe even more than more than that maybe years he was like still on he went very slow and I was to learn these paras with my rebi and to get a lot these par every parish is precious in say fraious this say fatious that's very unique rashi even asks it's funny that borius like impacted my life and I loved I like learning berious with the and I was to learn it with my rebi say for berious it's interesting rashi asked why didn't the tyra start with shmise with paras I'm like no that like like we got to start with borius so rashi asks why the terra starts with boratious it could be in a few minutes we'll talk about that but I want to express for these weeks for the next many weeks. One of the main things I'd like to do with the some days I'd like to see things inside I'll give out but I want to try on the next couple of months is to learn say fracious. So it's funny we could have many names for the s for the for the seder that we have now. It's a humish say they call it a they're learning we're learning to but specifically in the next couple of months to try to learn say for braces I personally gain I'm not just saying I'm saying over my rebi but I'm understanding my rebi more as I get older and I want to say over from other sources that I've seen probably with a lot of tools that I got from my rebi but I'd like to learn say fracious with the kra in the next couple of months to try to learn as I don't say we'll never do other things but certainly the focus and the primary thing we're going to be doing over the next the next many many weeks is to try to learn safe bracious I wanted to specifically focus on the first rashi today talk about introductions beginnings rashi the who became from the big rebelum and klas I want to study the first rashi with the kev I'd like to read it to the kev the first rashi and day fiberious and Rashi asks he's quoting a medish and he says the Tyra should have started from the mitzvah. It's the first mitzvah that Israel was commanded. Now there is a mitzvah of pur review but specifically as an ummah as a nation the first mitzvah that was commanded is sanctifying the new month and rashi asks why didn't the tyra start with the first mitzvah why does it start with bacious that's rash's question the tyra should start with the first mitzvah. The first mitzvah if the Tyra and this is very fundamental this rashi what is the Tyra doing and ifra is a collection of commands of our of our mission our obligations and duties start with the first command why does it start with batious that's rash's question why does the tyra start with braces if it's a history book It would start with the beginning, but it's not a history book. That's like CL. If this say we're about to learn, was just coming to teach us history, which it definitely is not. And how do I know it's not from this first rashi? If it was teaching us history, then it would make sense. You start with the creation of the world. But very clearly, the Tyra is not a history book because Rashi asked, "Teach us the first command. Why do you start with boracious? Comes Rashi. And Rashi says, why does it start with boracious? Answers Rashi. It's telling the power of Hashem's creations to give us that which he gave to the explains Rashi. If the Gim will say, if the Gim will say to us, list them at them, your robbers, you stole the land from the seven nations. You're thieves. You stole the land. Is not yours. The seven nations who live there had it before you. will respond owns the whole world. He created it and he gave it to who he saw fit the seven nations at first he gave it to the seven nations and then Hashem took it from them and gave it to us. says the first rashi in the Tyra the Tyra starts with Berius to say that Hashem created the world it belongs to him he decides who gets it he first gave it to the go and then he gave it to us that's the first rashy in the now I have a cashism on this first rashy so why do we have the whole safer gracious after you tell us God created the world so Hashem created it what do you have the whole safe bracious then go to parishes boy go to the first mitzvah rashi says the purpose of safe is hashem created the world if the go accuse us of robbery list them at them you'll tell them hashem made the world and gave it to us tough luck god gave it to us so why do you have the whole safer starious part you'll need some of the story of have because Hashem gives him stop. Once Hashem gives him, why do you have the rest of why do you have the whole bracious just stop after a will be needed? Because Hashem gives by the bris. But Rashi says the reason the Tyra starts with is if the go say we're thieves you'll be able to point in the Tyra Hashem made the world and gave it to us. Question one is why do you need the whole safer bracious but I want to discuss I think that's a just a strong question but you must very good question I want to share there are other questions to ask also I want to talk to the guys about this question >> I want to ask is this for is this for the gy or for us. The go say to you. So we have what to answer them or for us. Is this for us or for the goim? The goim say you're ganovim. You're thieves. You took arits from the seven nations. So you'll tell them God made. Is that for us or them? So Rashi brings Rashi brings aid of Hashem's talking to so it's not for the G it's for us I want to express this that we're going to learn a lot today Hashem I want to start by saying as follows the whole world's tumbling about Israel the United Nations which is about the if some somebody can look up the amount of resolutions about Israel. What [snorts] percentage is Israel the world it's a drip it's one of the tiniest countries what percentage could somebody look on right now if somebody could ask AI Google whatever you're supposed to do ways I don't know whatever you if you could ask y what percent of resolutions in the UN are about Israel >> [snorts] >> It's It's Let's see. Let's get it. >> Do we have a number? >> Roughly 45 to 50. >> Do you hear that? >> 68.4. >> 68%. What percent of the world is Israel? It's 68%. We're a tiny country and most of the world's busy with Israel. 68 50 45% most of the world's resolutions busy with Israel. China, Japan, France, Spain, they're busy with us. So when 68% crazy percentage busy with Israel, the world says you're thieves. You have no right to it. It's not yours. I want to express to the so much conversation people have. I'm a curious guy. I've looked into it. I've read about it. There's a lot of conversation is Israel hours. We got it 1948. The resolution they gave it one second. There were Arabs there. There's conversation. We could have dialogue today till tomorrow. Why do we get because the says because God made the world and he gave it to us. Why don't y'all answer like this more? >> Why don't y' do you know what >> doesn't >> the answer is because what else does it say in the Tory? >> The answer is of the answer why we have throw is because Hashem said so because it says in our Tory Hashem gave it to us. There's a guy I feel bad quoting a big anti-semite. He said to another guy, another guy said to him, the Tyra gave it to them. He said they're not loyal to the Tyra. Now we are we're yidden, but it's very demanding. The answer why ours is one answer because Hashem said so. But that means do you keep other things Hashem says and the answer is we we we have to try to keep the Tyra. I love that the answer and the whole world's discussing this is theirs attacks resolutions the answer is but that brings us places my friend it's so cool the discussion oh it says that in the what else does it say there wow let's learn let's study this is the answer my friends I want for for me and you I'm not talking about I don't care what to say to them that the answer what do I I I I spoken I spoke Rashiva was talking to me about the reputation of his yeshiva and I want you to hear this Eton Rashiva was talking about the reputation of his yeshiva and I told this specific Rashiva something I'm asking the guys if you're masking to me I think the main thing about a reputation ra was here and teaching at big thing Morty and I for years speak about Ryagler a big person first of all thankful he's here welcome him back I want Ryer I when people talk reputations of yeshiva I think the main question in the rebi room what do the rebim think inside themselves Ry and I have spoke he runs a camp that thousands of people have gone and gained and grown from many many people to question what are the people inside what are the people get a meaningful of rebel. The secret of the longevity of something successful is from within people hold of it. I'll tell you something interesting. I'm going to tell you something interesting. Why do they have debates? Have guys here watch presidential debates. Do you think the president Do you think Trump convinced one non-Trump supporter of his thing by his debate? Why are they debating? Do you think and by the way if you say undecideds most of the country has decided so the whole debate is for a few undecides if they're undecided from everything they've read and known till now that night is going to change I don't believe the night of the debate is for undecideds now somebody can claim I have no right no monopoly I'm telling you one man's opinion the undecided they have enough material to find out what each one holds they're not like okay let me see the debate and tonight if they were undecided in the previous years after the debate, they'll stay undecided. They're just undecided people. That's just how they are. So what's the point of the debate? Who are you? Who are you winning? You're not winning the other side over. Azil, do you know the point? Do they argue to try to convince the other side? If they did, it would be much more honest. I would love a debate. I like debates, an honest conversation. Each guy has to say the other guy's opinion. I like disagreements because we get smarter. I like in the in the B madish where I leave these new I want big arguments. I plan B to join and I want a debate but we'll think and talk and each get smarter. I don't believe the purpose of the debates the presidential debates not to convince the other side. I would love that. It would it would look much different. It would be sweeter and more honest and each one would like respect other guy. You only convince somebody if you respect and validate and understand the other side. That would be like beautiful conversation. The point of the debate is really to rally your own. Each one Trump has his and the other side has their who is more passion. Just because you're a Trump guy doesn't mean you're going to vote. It's hard to go out to vote. The one who's more fired up, it creates like a a a buzz in the world. It's called in English energizing your base. The purpose of the debates have nothing to do with convincing the other side. They want to get their own side more riled up. They like making fights with the other side. They're not trying to convince the other side. They're trying to get their more passionate. And the the presidential candidate who can make his more passionate. By the way, the undecideds are not voting like one side because they were convinced in the in the debate. If one side is like on fire, our guy. Woo. So then some of them decide, whoa, he's a winning cannon. I'm going with him. They're energizing their own base. That's what they're doing. Reputation works. Reputation works a lot. If a yeshiva inside the bakim like very excited and hold what they're doing, people can tumbl across the world. Wow. I don't know who ever. But there's an energy and a and a fire and a passion that exists in the building that's fire that's very big when it says the go say to the why do you have so we say the writes it do they the world does believe in it's the bestselling book in the world but we believe in the answer becomes the question is saying they're arguing this way that I don't know he's saying so I could tell you people to listen to. You'll hear what they'll say. He's saying very good. Maybe he's right. The answer is it says in the Torah, Hashem gave it to us, Hashem told his people, I'm the creator, gracious created the world. I first gave it to the Zion and then I took it away and gave it to you. You know why it's ours? because it says so in the now we should be says in the says other things I have to study I want to be true to this to say that to stand up and says that says that in the Tory do you keep other things says in the it's bringing us Hashem's working with us to me the whole discussion of the world is really saying yidden know where you come to defend our position We're being pushed somewhere. Hashem 58% of the resolution 60 45 what's happening? Hashem's actually taking our hand and saying yidden come come [snorts] learn my it says something in the so this like defense of the go it brings us to such beautiful places that the answer to our claim why are we claiming maybe not says in the it's ours says in the we we're in the hashem has the whole world discussing something that brings us to such a Beautiful place. It's the first rashi in the Tyra and Hashem has the whole Bria bringing us here. The whole dialogue. We could talk to a red, blue, green in the face and have conversations 1948 all different conversations back forth the biggest minds debating, arguing, talking. And the answer is says in says in the Hashem created the world. Abak once told me a movie scene. It's like reminiscent to me of this. I asked Ma to quote a movie, but it the visual is so good. Abak told me that a guy like makes all these karate moves and the other guy just takes out a gun and shoots him. Like you're busy here. I have a gun. Like it's not he like making different karate. Here you could have all the discussions in the world. We can intellectualize today for next as many years as you want. The answer that is ours is it says God created the world and he originally gave it to the and then he took it away and gave it to us and we're really now you could ask are the going to take that says of we know the truth I would love us to say the truth to Mish say the truth say the truth it says in the say the truth mish It says in the Tyra and we're people that are loyal to the Tyra. We're loyal to the Tyra and we actually are. And if people loyal to the Tyra don't cheat. By the way, if you're cheating somebody out and not being an honest person, you say it says in the Torah, you don't keep the Tyra. Where are you coming from? We do keep the Tyra. We're true to the Tyra. We're a people of the Tyra. The Mab that was the Tyra and we're true to it. It says in the Tory to me it's like so if I say obvious that Hashem has the whole world discussing something something to bring us to the simplest truth to the first rashi in the Tyra that it says in the Tyra it's ours that's the that's where the discussion can and should and could bring us to and Hashem as the world discussing talking Rabbi Rabbi Russ described going to the gas pump and Max stood up for his father I'm So Max's amazing person Russ is an incredible person and he stood up for his tattoo. Somebody got in Ry Russ's face, said it's your fault that gas prices are so high. Israel, it's all Israel. Israel, what's this Israel thing? And attacking. And Max Russ stood up, got out of the other seat and stood in the a story for itself. But um but but the whole world's tuming like the Israel story. It's the tumml of the world. It's the big tuml. When people side with us, disagree with us, there's a question and a conversation that we're being moved to. Who said Israel's yours is? What's your right? The answer is now I want to ask a simple question. They say we stole it. You're gone. So interesting. The world's full. You could say to America, and some do say this, you stole it from the Indians. The way the world seems to work is if you conquer a land, it's yours. That's always been the way of the world. As somebody could go ask the UN how it works. If you conquer a country, it's yours. That's how that's how countries work. My high they say to the Yidden, you're gone. You're thieves. You're not entitled. Everybody has a land. The Japanese have a land. The Portuguese have a land. The Spanish have a land. Every Ukrainians, everybody gets a land. The world's full of conquest. People conquered countries and you conquered it's yours and you're entitled to a land. What is this ver vigy? What is this ver on list? So give us do you want to give us a different land? You guys are just no land for you. We conquered it's ours. We're living there now. It's ours. What's this ta list? It's not how the world works. Now again somebody could say different times and different rules of the world what's this ver to list them and what I want to suggest to the is very very close with the nation who gets the and to the you're not entitled to a piece of this world when we give out do kahanim get a piece of it No, their job is that they're teaching. They don't get a piece. How do they survive? They get they get from supports them. The Gim say to us, you're don't get a piece of of this world. You're thieves. If you take any of this world, you're out of this world. You're a people of Hashem. You're a people of Tyra mitzvah. That's the Tina of the Gim perhaps. List them. You're going to have them whenever you take. I have a suspicion. I don't know. I'm right. Say very into money. I think it's obscene. We're into Hashem. Mitzvah. Why would say we're into money? We're the least into money. By the way, I'll prove it to you. We have big families. It costs a lot to have big families. If we're so into money, we shouldn't have kids. Into money. We like money. We need to live. Why did Gim say? Why is that like one of the most anti-semitic claims in the world? You money hungry people. What are they talking about? We have families richest people. >> You didn't have money. You if there studies that you are more rich, what are they seeing in us saying that you're so money hungry? Eton says we have a lot of blessing. We probably do. Hashem likes. So maybe maybe it's because of our blessings. Maybe. [snorts] What's this tiny? You're so into money. I have I I know many yidden. I'm z to know many yidden. We're very not in we're not we're very into mitzvah. Watch yidden spend tremendous amount. I go shopping for yidden will spend crazy money. We like mitzvah. What are they talking? You're into money. We have big families. Just simply I'm not like trying to say something funny. We have more. We have a lot large families. You're so into money. What are you talking? What are they talking about? What's this time that we're so into money where people we like money like everybody like what's this what what's it coming from what are they seeing in us so Etan says smartly we have a lot of blessing could be they're jealous the blessings claim I wonder that the root I don't know I'm right I don't want to say this as a fact I don't know I'm right I want to express that I don't know it does make me wonder on the list you're not entitled to this world. You guys are people of God. The world knows that we taught we have we taught the world about one Hashem. We're people who are loyal call it Judeo Judean values. They got things from Yiddish. Of course. Of course. Pant where the people of the Tyra were people who learn Tyra connected to Hashem. What are you taking a piece of of of this world for? You got nothing if you take. I suspect they say you're you're into money because any money you have, you're not entitled to things here. You're not supposed to be from this world at all. So any taking of money, you're money hungry. You're out of lane. You're not supposed to be in that. You're supposed to be detached. So what's the answer to that? I want to express that. That's the exact question Rashi addresses. Why did Tyra start with Batius? Start with the first mitzvah. If you're if Tyra means you're a people who just keep mitzvah who just do out of this world. So start with mitzvah. I want to express that the tyrus starts from safe is the story of a yeets and yank the creation of the world. The building of our people in this world. Aram fighting wars. Aram raising a family raising a family and Yakovu and the journeys of Yakovu because I want to express that our job is to be in this world and elevate this world. We're a funny people that we do exist in this world. We exist here. We're busy here. We work. We have jobs yet we elevate this world. It's called kadosha. I want to express that's what it means that there's a land that's holy. There's a land that that Claudius sanctifies and elevates and is elevated. Is this of kadosh of elevating this world? When it says the whole I asked why do you have the whole fibrous hashem the gim say you're to tell them we got throne. So you don't need the whole safe for that. I'm claiming getting means we're supposed to be in this world. We're supposed to sanctify and elevate. We have a land. It's called where living here and elevating. That's why the whole sracious it's it's before mitzvah. It's the formation of our people living in this world, building in this world, creating an amnestro in this world. We're we're such an unusual people that of we live bigger than the world. We live we live mitzvah. We live yet we're part of this world. Yet we're part we go to work. We have jobs. We're in this world and we sanctify and elevate this world. We're not detached. We make money. We have families. We're in this world and we sanctify. That's the story to me. That's the whole safe for voracious the formation the creation of the world and people who came and lived in a beautiful way in this world sanctifying this world the mess describes about au field and it says I'm I'm going to get to in a second it says buy a field the field has an elevation whom the words of the messia are salah person serves hashem he's elevated in the world's elevated with him the sincere person who brings meaning and purpose and as madish things I like on our campus they're all different activities here I like that we have rebim I was meeting with yoseph and Ellie we spent time and I like that the meeting took place a serious meeting about leagues in yeshiva there are physical things that go on the purpose of everything is we should sincerely be loyal people, happy, loyal servants of Hashem. All the activities matter and are have a holiness and are sanctified and it's important. They're for a purpose. But the go say list you have a land. You're what to a land that's that's something have a land. No. Hashem created the world and gave us a place in the world. The people of Hashem have a place and say for is the construction of the people Hashem within this world and of course then we engage in mitzvah later on it brings we have mitzvah we're in this world and we elevate the world with mitzvah with service of that's that is the that's what I want to express Ari what I hear in this first rash what the go are saying list them out what the answers are what Hashem is telling us and what paratia seems to be saying to us that's that's how I that's how I hear it make sense this this first fascinating rashi really a fascinating rashi I do want to express to the guys that the conversation why we have because Hashem gave it to us that's the truth that's the real sometimes we're so afraid to say our truths to say sometimes we feel like I What's he gonna We have to be like I said with reputation of a school. We have to be secure within ourselves. A guy could ask you why why is yours I don't get your right to it. And he could debate and talk. He'll have a lot of dates and you say because says in theem gave us God gave it really in the to say will he believe in it the do believe in the everybody believes in the tra the is the bestselling book in the world the biggest religions of the world believe in the course hashem handed us the but the point is our own inner security that the answer that we say this first rashi in the tyra it's the tyra is emis the tyra is emis I like that we I like that we're forced to say the truth of that. with one of my sons. We were watching a very intelligent person who doesn't know Tyra and he's a Yid who who who he needs he needs he'll learn he'll learn yet he'll yet learn and he had a whole philosophical intellectual discussion about and he couldn't he didn't know to say that for him to say it would change his life he would ask himself what else does it say in the I tr says it says he wasn't wearing the things you'd have to study maybe not you have to study but it's a beautiful truth that we could be we could really I I have heard there I'm not get I'm not a political guy I don't know politics I have heard like I have heard I have heard people get up and I have a tremendous appreciation when a person gets up says the truth was ours says in the that's what we say that's our if a guy wants to know wants to discuss if you meet a local guy at a gas station who asks you tell him he won't know means tell them it's written in the Bible it says in the Bible Hashem created the world and it says he gave it to and his children as such it's ours that's good for us to absorb them he told us told us will the Gim accept that from us when we're true when they're amazed by who are true who are honest when that same guy knows you could trust the yid he won't steal from you because he's true to the pass when that same guy knows that does business with him he's completely passionate he's guaranteed will be honest you say where you from I'm from the by the We have to believe it. We have to live it. We have to understand it and absorb it. Then we share unashamedly. You say a guy goes to the UN. He just read a let me read some to the can we learn. He says no bigous no big other people can speak and say and debate. That's the guy doing all the karate moves and he opens says he reads created the world then it says he gives it to the then promise the land is yours is that when the conversation the guy wants to handle maybe the ramb says different he could start harving can harvey we could study but we have to study what does it say here that's that's the first rashi of the amazing rashi I I think the claim list that you're gam to begin with that they claim that on us is my suspicion is the sense that we're not supposed to be in this world and I think that's a mistake. It's a famous mistake. It says kazal say the altar of narik says that as made that mistake. He was upset Jacob got the bra. He says you're not supposed to be from this world. You learn you're mka and I'll support you but you're not let it be in this world and that's not a reality. We're in this world. We work. We support our families. We're in this world. That's But we're mad. We sanctify and elevate from this from within this world. We elevate. That's what I that that's what I think in the first rashari. >> What's the So the Torah is a book of commandments. Are we like defining the Torah? >> So it's not if it bec because our job is to be in this world. The Tyra is the Tyra is theem but it's not just commands. It speaks about the human being's existence in this world. It deals with the situations in the world. It's not just something out of this world. It deals with the human being situations within this world. I think there's many ramifications to this Arig agenda for something. I think our feelings, our insecurities are part of Torah. every situation in this world we can bring to service of Hashem. I think there are many ramifications to this discussion. I'm only like suggesting something. There's there's more to talk and and Yeah. Yeah. I wanted uh it's recorded if uh