Erev Shabbos Shiur @ Boca Raton Synagogue

Uh, truly excited and it's always a pleasure to welcome Rabbi Kelech back to our community. I think this is a Hazaka year. Third year. Rabbi Kelech, this is the third year. This is the Hazaka. This year is the Hazaka. Mitzvah Shem, every year from now on in Yerushalayim together. Let's all continue to learn and to grow and to watch and to emulate. So, amazing Rabbi Kelech doesn't just to come and give Shiurim, but he comes and brings his energy, many Talmidim, and it really transforms the community in the time that he's here. I want to thank again Dr. Hillal and Chaim Cohen for uh sponsoring the Shabbos in memory of Chaim's parents, Menachem Naumberg, Menachem Mendel ben Aryeh Leib, and Rivka bas Shmuel Pinchas. Nishmas She'aven Aliyah, tremendous Nachas they're getting where they are from their children and grandchildren. Their Shabbos Kallah this morning is sponsored by Ed Orluch on the Yahrtzeit of his brother, Yehuda Tzvi ben Moshe Yisrael. Nishmas She'aven Aliyah. Encourage everyone to join us tonight as well at BRS. We'll have a Tish with questions and answers with uh Rabbi Kelech. Tomorrow morning he'll be giving the Drasha in several of the Minyanim. Shiur tomorrow afternoon, Shalosh Seudos. Tomorrow night a special Melaveh Malkah uh for uh parents who are looking for Chizuk in navigating with their children. And uh that's enough. That's a lot of work. That'll be enough there. So, without any further ado, please rise and join me. It's a great Zchus to welcome Rabbi Kelech. Good morning and thank you to the Rav for his kind words and and I thank Dr. Cohen and the Rav and the whole community for having me. It's It's a It's really an honor. It's really an honor to be here. This is a incredible place of growth. There's a Chiyus here. When when Yaakov Avinu sees the sees all his children, the shivtei Kah, living right, he responds, "Baruch shem k'vod malchuto l'olam va'ed." Is Yaakov Avinu's response. I remember I remember years ago when Rav Aaron Schechter, the the Chaim Berlin Rosh Yeshiva, Zatzal, came to Waterbury, and I don't know what his planned speech was. I can't I don't know what his plan was, but when he spoke there, Rav When he spoke in Waterbury for about an hour and a half, he was saying the pasuk, and he expounded on Baruch shem k'vod malchuto l'olam va'ed, and it literally you saw tremendous regesh. He was seeing a new yeshiva. At the time it was a new yeshiva, new community, expansion of Torah. And he was just saying Baruch shem k'vod malchuto l'olam va'ed over and over. He was talking about the pasuk. He was saying shatem, but he really was just emoting a tremendous gratitude to Hashem and excitement to see expansion of Torah. So, I just want to say coming here, what what the Rav has done here and created here, what the tzibur has here, just as such an expansion of people learning the to come to this shul over Shabbos, the amount of minyanim, and the amount of learning, and the amount of chavershaft, the friendship, to talk on this place is it's worthy of saying Baruch shem k'vod malchuto l'olam va'ed. I want to share some I want to talk about a topic that I want to say that I'm a member of, and I'm thinking about this topic. I I'll explain why it's on my mind. I do I do like coming from meseches Sanhedrin. It's It's the only meseches I was able to learn cover to cover with my father. So, I whenever I can come from meseches Sanhedrin, that draws me, but there are other reasons why this sugia that I want to talk about is on my mind. We're talking [clears throat] these parshios. These parshios of Torah were all busy with the galus Mitzrayim and the geulah from Mitzrayim. And of course, we've come to parshas Beshalach, the geulah from Mitzrayim. But in this whole sugiyah of galus and geulah, there's like a it when you read it in the psukim, it's like a little bit almost I don't want to say the word a side story, but I want to talk about it. At the beginning, Moshe Rabbeinu is in Midian. And Aaron Kohen is running our people in Mitzrayim. And Moshe Rabbeinu of course marries Yisro's daughter. And Yisro, before he gives the shidduch, he makes Moshe Rabbeinu make a shvuah. It's the Gemara Nedarim 60. And Yisro is mashpia, he makes Moshe swear something. And he says Moshe Rabbeinu, he is pretty aware that there's a very good chance Moshe Rabbeinu is going to return to his people. And he says to his son-in-law, "I'll give you my daughter one condition. Swear to me, vayoyel Moshe lasheves es Yisro, swear to me that before you return to the Jewish people, you'll ask me permission." Now, I want to talk about that shvuah for a few minutes this morning. I want to talk about that shvuah. "Swear to me that before if you leave here, I'm not stupid. I'm giving you my daughter. I'm not convinced you'll settle I I I I deal with a lot of guys shidduchim and the girl's like, "I You don't have to move back to Florida." They're going back to Florida. Like, please. So, Moshe Rabbeinu knows, Moshe Yisro is fully aware, Moshe's wife might You know, "I might not go back to He's going to Mitzrayim. His people are in Mitzrayim. We're in Mitzrayim." And Yisro is fully aware he's going to Mitzrayim. And he says to Moshe Rabbeinu, though, "If you go to Mitzrayim, swear to me you'll ask permission. Now obviously a father-in-law at I'm sorry I didn't go to many weddings. I the holy moments before the when each father-in-law the men Ashkenaz that the done right before the uh and some in Ashkenaz and the father each one of the fathers promises to walk their child down the aisle. I'm always more moved by the father of the girl. The father of the girl says I will give my daughter and he he makes a Kenyan in front of that he's going to hand over his daughter and there's a tremendous there's a tremendous sense of of trust of a guy of a youngster that I'm going to hand my daughter and walk and walk her down the aisle and hand him. I'm always more amazed at that and certainly I get it. Yisro's concerned you're handing your daughter. But I what is in the I don't want to settle for childish things. What is this that he swear to me you're nervous to give your daughter? Obviously trust but if you go back swear you'll ask permission. What is that? What bothers me more specific is later Hashem says to Moshe Rabbeinu Moshe Rabbeinu go back to the Jewish people. Of course Hashem calls Moshe Rabbeinu back and of course he keeps his shvua and he goes to Yisro and Yisro gives us and what bothers me is that [clears throat] Yisro gave so why not when you give over your daughter why not give the then? You know he's going to probably go back so you think about it and you say now give you my daughter and go back. And he gives so what's this swear to me you'll ask permission? Moshe asked and he gives me shoes. He wasn't ready to give me shoes. What's happening? What's the I make up shot? What's What's hap- What's the sog you hear? Swear you'll ask permission. My share asked me and he gives. So, if you're willing to give permission later, you couldn't give permission when you gave you the system. I know my share of a new. You'll probably go back to people I give permission now. What is the I make up shot? Swear to me you'll ask me shoes. Parenthetically, it's very interesting that when my share of a new asked Yisro to go back, he doesn't tell It doesn't seem like the full emes. Because he doesn't say Hashem Hashem said to me when he asked the swear, um swear, can I go back to the Jewish people? He doesn't say to He doesn't say to Yisro, he doesn't say God told me to free the Jewish people. Hashem told me to take out Yisro. He says I want to see the aid of a kind. I want to see how are they still with Yisro? Are they still alive? I want to check on my people. It wasn't true. It's not It's true. Maybe he wants to also see the aid of a kind. He wants to take them out. Hashem was it humility? No, he didn't say a shaker class for sure. My share of a new is the rest of the emes. He probably also wanted to see the aid of a kind. But, he's going back to free the Jewish people. So, we have to work on that sog you the mattress asked that question perhaps. But, we have to work on that sog you that he doesn't say I'm going to free on Yisro. Why not? But, what is this sog you have asked me shoes from Yisro? That That's the question. Now, clearly and it's mash me this way in the mattress. When Yisro asked says to my share of a new, swear to me you'll ask me shoes is clearly in contrast to Yakov of a new who leaves love and who leaves his father-in-law and steals the children in middle of the night. And Lavan gets upset and clearly that's the contrast. Yes, he says, "Don't do it. I know you saved Yaakov Avinu." And he ran away from his share. Don't do that to me. So, what whatever p'shat we're going to say in Yisro, contrast to Yaakov Avinu. I think I I think about the children I think about the b'nei Torah of today. That our children, baruch Hashem, our people, our zeide's, our children are sitting and learning in yeshivas. And our yeshivas are full and people, youngsters, are sitting and learning by osmosis. And baruch Hashem, our yeshivas, our Bais Yaakovs, are full. And I think about the dor, the the grandparents. Many of the grandparents who made decisions that have brought to what is today. I thought I In In this In this In this last kufa, I thought a lot about my rebbe and my father and their journeys, their stories. My parents' stories who grew up in a whole different world than we're growing up in. My father learned in Hefter. In In what was then It wasn't called Hefter at the time. It was called Hilai. And I think about his choices, his decisions. My mother, her decisions, what she chose, how she chose. And then I think about the youngsters of today, what they're growing up in the tremendous yeshivas and Bais Yaakovs that we zocheh to have today. And I I hope I hope that the kids of today remember and understand and keep in their lives the bikush for Hashem. My wife's father is a searching yid. He doesn't know Torah and mitzvos like you and I know. And he wrote us a letter about his life's search for Hashem, an incredible letter. And I want that my children was like they're sitting and learning Torah, learning Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, learning the sevos. I want them to be connected to that search, Hashem. It's like we found it. We're there already. I want them to be aware. I want them to respect the search, Hashem, and I want them to know even in your advanced staying, you're part of this search, Hashem. And and moving towards Hashem, we're a continuation and a hemshech of this search to serve Hashem, to be close to Hashem in our quote-unquote sophisticated learning. And I don't mean sophisticated learning them. But I want it to be we're still connected to that search, aware of the search, appreciative of the search, and part of it in our own growth and our own staying. I wonder I'm I'm I'm asking. I'm not I'm I'm wondering. Yaakov's stealing quote-unquote the children from Lavan is the pshat that Lavan's not part of our mesorah. Lavan Lavan bekish lacker is a call quite the contrary. Lavan is not considered a part of our journey. He's not mentioned he's we don't we're not mechabed him as part as part of our journey. And that in Yaakov Avinu stealing his daughters, that's what's being expressed. You're not part of the journey. He says I'm stealing away the children. I'm not asking for your bracha. I'm not a hemshech of what you brought. Lavan a dishonest person, a liar and a cheat. And Yaakov Avinu steals them and Lavan understands this. Lavan understands this and what he's saying you stole my children is I get you're expressing it's not a hemshech from me. I wonder that Yisro says Moshe Rabbeinu swear to me you'll ask me reshus is not a power, is not a control, is an expression and saying that I want Yisro is a searcher. Yisro searches and checks everything out and and discovers and decides the untruths of all the other different different worlds. Does even the Medrash says that different than we have in the Pshat, the Medrash says that he made Moishe Rabbeinu swear that he made Moishe swear that the first son would be Avodah Avodah Zarah that he would be to the Avodah Zarah and Moishe swore that. Now I swore an swear Moishe was not giving any of his children to Avodah Zarah. I swore an swear that Moishe was saying that I'll allow my I'll I'll allow my first son to have choices. And Yisro was saying his was an Avodas Hashem of searching, of seeking, I want your child to be in the world where they could have choice and think about it. And Moishe swore that he would allow that. But what perhaps this this shvua that you'll ask me reshus to go to Mitzrayim is my is Yisro saying that my search for Hashem will be a hemshech and continued. You're going to go to Mitzrayim. You're going to have a yetzi'ah Mitzrayim. You're forming a people that's going to be mekabel the Torah. Ta'avdonu Elokeinu al ha'aretz. You're a people that's going to receive the Torah. You're going to go to sophisticated heights, awareness of Hashem, closeness to Hashem. I I I ask you Moishe Rabbeinu as your father-in-law Sippora's as Sippora's father I ask you swear to me you'll ask me reshus. The higher you'll connect back, it will be a hemshech, it will remember, it will be part of a search in your advancement, in your yedios ha'Torah that you're going to get in your furtherance of the service of Hashem, it will connect back to that which I discovered to my search for Hashem. You'll always remember that. That's what he swears to them. And in next week's parsha after Yitzias Mitzrayim, when Yisro comes and there's a whole Sugya of the Kvod that Moshe forest is swear is all perhaps part of that shvuah of asking Rishus. Then Yisro comes after cup after when Yisro comes after Muhammad Sa Malik after Krias Yam Suf and comes to our people and he's given a massive amount of Kvod. That's all part of the Sugya. It's interesting the Kvod that Yisro receives and I wonder what this looks like. What do I even want? What I'm asking that I want our youngsters to be aware of the search of the Certainly there's gratitude and probably it's respecting searchers and respecting Yidden and seeing the beauty of our people and the history of our people. I don't know exactly and I'm not positive. What do you want? Maybe it's just a fact and it's a mitzvah and you don't have to do anything about what you're saying and I admit that. I'm not sure what I want. I do say that Yisro coming and getting all that Kvod is a big thing. It's a very, very big thing. I I'd like in our Yeshivas when older when elders come and people understand tire was built. I go back to my Rebbi describing his journey, the journey of the first Yeshiva guys in the country in America. My Rebbi visiting Reb Aaron Cutler and putting on a ring to be mechabed Reb Aaron as a youngster. Putting on a ring on his finger to be mechabed. He mommies a ring he wouldn't wear a thumb but to visit the Godol Reb Aaron. To remember there were Bnei Torah in the country that that searched, that looked for, that built something that were part of This this connection of those this today it's partial but Yisro is a chiddush. Yisro is an outsider, he's not part of our people at that time. But this nekudah of of a Certainly there's a socheh of gratitude. Certainly there's a socheh of appreciating everybody's bikush. But I'm really I want more that our own growth is part of that bikush. I want my kids to have this letter of their grandfather and to know that their own their own learning, their own growth, their own chelis that Baruch Hashem are at beautiful places, but you're connected to this bikush for Hashem. You're connected and you're involved and in our own growth, we're just furthering this bikush for the Ribono shel Olam. That's that's That's the sugia. I That's what I want to present to the chevre as a possibility. of the Vayoyel Moshe l'sheves saish that Moshe Rabbeinu makes Yisro swear. That's I want to present this as a possibility. That was the first sugia. There's There's time for one more. So I That's one one nekudah I wanted to present. >> [snorts] >> I want to share I want to share quickly another another inyan. In Parshas Beshalach, so we know about the Biza d'Yam. We know that Am Yisrael became fabulously wealthy. The Mitzrayim almost inexplicably when they went to chase Am Yisrael brought or all their wealth along. Of course, it was Gzeirah min Hashamayim that they should bring all their wealth along to fight Klal Yisrael. And when they were killed at at the Yam, so Klal Yisrael became fabulously wealthy. And it came Hashem had promised Bnei Yisrael "Acharei kein yeitzei'u b'chush gadol, that will leave him Mitzrayim fabulously wealthy. So So as a keyum of that prom- promise Acharei kein yeitzei'u b'chush gadol, we got rich with the bizas hayam. But what's interesting is last week's parsha. Because already in last week's parsha, Hashem says to Moshe Rabbeinu b'matos u'minayin, he asks a favor. And he says before the Yidden leave Mitzrayim, I don't want Osei tzaddik Avraham Avinu to say that v'avadim hayinu l'Osei tzaddik keyum bahem, Acharei kein yeitzei'u b'chush gadol like keyum bahem. So please have Klal Yisrael ask by yeshalem, they should borrow keilim and borrow things from Mitzrayim. And we did that upon leaving Mitzrayim and became rich. We had taken stuff from Mitzrayim. So we had two times and it it bears studying. Acharei kein yeitzei'u b'chush gadol, what what why are there two keyumim? And there's Torah on this, but I want to talk about another aspect of these two keyumim of Acharei kein yeitzei'u b'chush gadol. And what I want to ask the Tushiya Rabbeinu is, why did we borrow the money at first? Acharei kein yeitzei'u b'chush gadol means I'll make you rich. But the first time we by yeshalem, it was borrowed. Shouldn't it be ours? The second time makes sense. It became ours. But the initial keyum of Acharei kein yeitzei'u b'chush gadol and it Hashem wanted this. Hashem asked for this and wanted this, that the initial keyum of Acharei kein yeitzei'u b'chush gadol should be by yeshalem, they borrow it. That's not ours. It's only borrowed. It's a pikadon. We're allowed to use it. The Mitzrim we had chein. The Mitzrim liked us and wanted us and graciously and were willing to give their stuff to us, but it was only a borrowing. That's funny. Acharei kein yeitzei'u b'chush gadol, I would suspect and expect Hashem said we'll leave rich, we'll own it, it will be ours. The room was shocked that the Somebody told me they were learning the homage. We borrowed it. I thought we were supposed to leave rich. It's only borrowed. After 10 years of why did it start with money that was only a by us and only subsequently in the shall I become ours? Why not that it was from from the moment it was ours? That's that's the room's question. There's a above the camera sitting here in Florida. You probably wouldn't be as as moved by this camera right now. I'm I'm holding in the the says that a person's not let it take rocks from their property and put it in the room. You're not let it do that. You can't take stones from your property. I have a fellow who lives about around the corner from me, a guy who I really don't appreciate this guy at all. Because but when it snows I didn't see him do it this year. We have 18 inches of snow right now in front of our houses and I didn't I didn't see him do it this year but yearly this fellow there's a turn from my block from building a left turn onto onto um onto I'm forgetting the name of the street but a left turn onto the block where the basement is on. Forgetting the street right now. And at that left turn there's a guy at that corner who who snow blows. He has a snow blower, excellent. And he blows the snow off his property, puts it right in the middle of the street. I think that's me. I want to show him the above the camera that you're not let it take rocks from your property and put it in the middle of the street. He the snow blower you're supposed to face it onto your sidewalk and take all the snow and you put it supposed to take from your sidewalk onto your lawn, he takes the snow puts it in all the street. If I doubt the house crossing I would say he thinks eventually they'll probably clean it off. How many accidents he's caused, I don't know. When I drive by, it's always his street, it's always right in front of his house full of snow, and I've seen him snow blow all his his snow right onto the street. And the Gamara says that it's us sir to take rocks from your property and make a rubbish just around you not allowed to do what he's doing. Comes the Gamara and the Gamara says a story of Hashem. There's a Hasid who sees a Yid who's taking rocks from his property and put it on the street. The Hasid says to the Yid, "Why are you taking from that which is not in your shoes and putting it into your shoes?" That's what the Hasid says to the He says, "Raca, empty one." Calls him an empty one. Perhaps we'll explain that. He says, "Empty head, why are you taking from that your property and putting it into your property?" So, the Raca lig lig all of he laughs. What are you talking about? I'm taking from my property, I'm doing the logical thing. Taking from my property and putting the snow in the street. What do I care? But the Hasid says, "Why are you doing it from not your property and putting it onto your property?" Leaman, says the Gamara, a while later this Yid had to sell his property. He ends up walking the streets, he no longer owns his property, and he trips and he gets damaged on the stones that he put in the street around him. And he says, "Yafa amri I see Hasid." The Hasid was right. When he said "Reshusho ain a shali reshusho shali", he was the right. The question is what less What What What's going on? What's that conversation? Reshusho ain a shali is yours. Reshusho shali, what's going on? What's that conversation? So, the pastures of what the Hasid was saying And called the Yidden didn't understand this hora'ah, somebody doesn't have. You don't have if you don't understand this. He called them empty. You don't have if you don't get this. The Torah says by trumah ishas kedushah of layeyah. A person's trumah belongs to the person. Layeyah, it's yours. Now, trumah you're not allowed to eat, you're not allowed to drink, you're not allowed to It's not yours. You have to give it to the kohen. You can't have any hana'ah. You can't You can't You can't eat it, you can't have hana'ah from it. So, what does it mean layeyah? Explains chazal, it means tayvis hana'ah. You get to choose which kohen goes to. And that's a very limited ownership. You don't own it. You get to decide where it's put. Ishas kedushah of layeyah. What you own is the right to where it's put. Now, that's It's funny. Hashem says on trumah it's yours. Chazal quantify and qualify. It's not mish not yours. Don't touch it. You have a right where it goes. That's not what Hashem said. He said ishas kedushah of layeyah, it's yours. And the Chofetz Chaim writes that this is the way we understand gifts from Hashem. Somebody has a good voice, somebody has money, somebody has good looks, somebody has any any talent and quality and ability. The way a Yid sees it is pikadon by me. Hashem wants to gift it to the world. Hashem wants to gift to the world and he gave me the right to decide where it goes. What we own is where we put it. That's what we own, tayvis hana'ah. That's how the Chofetz Chaim writes that this is how we view a person This is how Yidden view possessions. That Hashem wanted to gift the world. Hashem gives somebody a good voice. What he owns is the right where and who he sings to. Hashem wanted the world to have a good voice. The way a Yid views ba'al habayis, Hashem trusted me and was masked with money by me. And then I could use it to give higher and then I get to decide what to build. What what where to give it, who to give it to. The Tyro said no. First they could take that money and buy a a pair of pants for their child. Tremendous Hashem. They could buy a gift for their wife. The person's have color the money was put by me for the use of serving of serving Hashem wanted in the world and I get to decide the Tyro said no. That's how we view by us. Says the Tyro said no that Hashem wanted to teach us about money. Part of the gift about it by the business I am it becomes ours in the sense of the world that it's completely ours. But that's how of our relationship to it it was lent to us. It was a pardon. And the Tyro said no writes that it was the kindness of Hashem that we should relate to the money. The money was given as borrowing. That should be our relationship. It's a pardon by me. I get to the it was put by me. I'm trusted to decide where it goes, how to use it. That's the Yid should understand that understanding amazing Tyro said no. That that's why it was given to us the Tyro said no was given. It's so good that it comes from a view who's made us made of Hashem who takes the items and is a person that the the Tyro said no who was the Tyro said no who took what he had and is supporting and you look at our beautiful people. You look at our beautiful people and the kindness that goes on in our nation. The Tyro said no and the whole way that we borrowed the money was Tyro said no should Tyro said no should should should should appreciate the Tyro said no how that scuttle. How that out and the Khidushei Rim that Hashem was teaching us. Mitzrayim is a place that of limits, of of Mitzarim. And the limit of just the money as an ends to that a different world to become then this usage as connection to Hashem from this. The big things that can come from this, from each from from each the ability to where to put it, how to put it. We can connect to Hashem through it, through buying something for our spouses, for our child. That there's a connection that's something so deep that can come from the place we choose to use it. So, this is what the Khidushei Rim sees in how there was a Kayam and Kinyan Godol at first, that the money was given exactly as Yidden would perceive it always to become value. It was given as such before of course the Mitzriyim died and the money became ours at the Biza Siyam, but it was given in that Eifen is Kaveya a relationship to it. And a people who gets it, a people Am Yisrael who the Khas said that goes on in our nation, remarkable. We're a nation that gets it, that has an attitude to money like no people in the world. It's interesting to there's that people look at our people and Khas V'shalom make fun like as if the jokes and Am Yisrael were into money. And it's and it's it's the fur- it's it's really the furthest from the truth. We have a different understanding of money. I think the Shas we do appreciate a person can connect the Grus' last few minutes on the earth. He was holding his Setzus, saying for like pennies we can get close to Hashem. Money's the biggest thing in the world. The older I get, I'm much more into money. The big thing you get close to Hashem, crazy. Could buy my son a I could buy my son a jacket. That's crazy. Money's unbelievable you get close to Hashem, madness. It's tremendous a gift from Hashem, the usage that it has. Person a few dollars you can buy how much you want. You can buy your wife a gift. It's crazy. You go to a store, I mean it sincerely. You can take money, it's not Take dollars and you buy your wife something. It's the biggest blessing in the world. You can go to a store and buy something nice for your wife. Money is precious and it's a gift to use for Hashem. That Hashem's mouth can buy a person with such a use that you can get close to Hashem. The girl holding his tzitziyot for like pennies. You can get close to Hashem with strings. You can go out to the store right now. You can get close to Hashem. The usage of money and the coming by a person towards the point that it's this is literally it's Mitzrayim. The place in Mitzrayim where things are so limited and so stuck. Just the loop where you're stuck there. There's no deeper and more internal value. But that the way a Yid use money with very different than the Umos. And we have we're a light to the Umos. That it's a usage. A new shul could be built a with money. The Rav's building here Torah and expansion for Yidden. It's wild. It's crazy. Money is so big and so closeness to Hashem through shuls. It's a bigger shul, a better Beis Medrash, a warm coffee for Yidden to come learn. Crazy. You could buy coffee for Yidden that a Yid could have a cup of coffee. It's crazy. That's our attitude that we see the usage of it not as by all something a person holds on to and holds for themself. That's Mitzrayim. We got out of Mitzrayim. And in getting out of Mitzrayim borrow because Hashem should all of us to be zocheh to appreciate all the gifts Hashem has given us and to use for to use to get close to Hashem. A good Shabbos. Thank you. Anyone want to sponsor anything in the new building? I'm available to talk. questions three