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Living With Emunah (Part 284) - Finding Emunah in Tragic Times
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Sharing inspiration, letters, and thoughts in these most difficult and trying times. - Introduction - Letters from Israel
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back to living
withun should be a good morning and a
good day for
should sweeping Victory Safety and
Security and only only good
things last week uh I had to travel for
a wedding and we missed this year and I
must tell you as much as I missed giving
it and listening to it and needing it
the Amai I also little piece of me was
um was not sorry to miss it because it's
very difficult to sit and talk
about and in times like this in pain
like this and loss like this with
tragedy like
this but moreover feeling incredibly
inadequate to do so sitting here in
boaron Florida when there are millions
of brothers and sisters who are all on
the front line simply by living in
Israel whose lives have been upended and
suspended whose schools are not
happening and contract work is St
stopped and chicken there's a shortage
in the Maka and garbage is not picked up
whose husbands or fathers or sons are
now away for over a week preparing and
getting ready for the mission of their
lives and that's that's a country of
teachers of
amuna and the half a million or more
soldiers who are singing and dancing
to Who are wearing TI some for the first
time in their life or putting on Fillin
or talking to or about
Hashem that's these videos and these
messages and these images that's the
Amun Florida is not where it's at and I
feel grossly grossly inadequate to talk
about amuna from this position and
perspective but uh but alas what can we
do this year's scheduled
and have to give it but I I wanted to
really Express that disclaimer it's more
than a disclaimer I want to express that
genuine enormous heartfelt feeling of
inadequacy to talk about amuna which
it's as complicated as it is is
relatively simple from here certainly
certainly compared to those our brothers
and sisters in Israel those who have
family members serving in the IDF those
in the IDF
so where where do we all get amuna in
moments like this where do you see hasem
on
14400 for the rest of my life I'll never
forget coming to sh morning and being
stopped by those who knew the news and
feeling overwhelmingly responsible to
share it with a community that we're
going to find out needed to Pivot in how
we experienced Y and Sim Tor and I'll
never forget that the first minion I
spoke at that morning the number that we
had at the time was there were 50
casualties there was an infiltration and
I couldn't even say the words and I
broke down crying thinking about 50
innocent people who were murdered and
now that number
is400 it's a staggering number it's a
statistic it's mind-boggling it's
difficult to even comprehend to
comprehend
1,400 over
200 children babies infants women
elderly Holocaust Survivors who are
being held
captive and we know their condition and
how they're being treated and if they're
alive and the torture their families are
going through every single moment that
they're gone and Soldiers on a front
line and embassies that are on
fire and University campuses and I don't
have to spend this time filling you in
that's not why you're here you all know
how dire the circumstance is and how
inconsolable we are to this
loss where's Hashem how do you talk
about amuna where do you find his hand
why would he allow why would he do why
would he sit by why
would so that's what I think about
non-stop I know that's what you think
about Non-Stop and that's what I am
grossly grossly inadequate and
unqualified to sit here and talk about
and tell you
anything so I'm going to share the words
of somebody who was
qualified on the eve of a who tonight
but first let's thank oh
to our sponsors the series is sponsored
by Dr Al and Bella Morgan in memory of
by Dr Brian galin in memory of Bella's
mother Ellen shanzer we remain very
grateful to the Morgans for their
generosity they are in Israel live in
Israel I don't know if they've ever been
to bokeh and we always have hakar satov
to them for their generous sponsorship
of this sheer that they don't intend in
person and that they're not part of
technically a member of the community
but as they live in Israel and work in
Israel and serve in Israel
certainly they are in our thoughts and
feels this morning she is also sponsor
the coveres in memory of Dr Jacob Hiller
who exemplified and modeled how to live
with
for to find her
B and she's growth oriented
strengthening her and daily constantly a
source of for the person who's
sponsoring
soem that should all help her find her
and lastly by Al and Sarah Gordon who
are sponsoring in memory of Al's aunt
onite and of course all of our learning
is in the Merit of strength and ra and
comfort and success for the IDF and for
our brothers and sisters in Israel and
all that they do at the end of the Amun
those who can stay for a few minutes
will divide up to hilum the more you
stay the shorter it takes you divide up
will complete the entire Saum to combine
Torah and to combine learning and Ding
and hopefully have an impact
so I'm un qualified and I'm inadequate
to talk about Aon in a circumstance like
this but tonight the fourth ofan is the
side of the Holy P of colous common shap
P
PES we knew and we learned but
reri certainly when he named his KES
certainly enhanced and elevated the
learning and the exposure to the holy
patner who is now whose words soothe our
soul and Inspire and light us on fire so
very briefly and quickly if You' never
heard of or you're not familiar with the
Petna Reb was colous common shapir Petna
was a city right outside Warsaw and he
was the r of
Petna he attracted
many to this small outside of Warsaw he
created an entire network of yeshivas
where he was very Progressive in his
thinking and revolutionary in some ways
he established the Yesa Das mosha
1923 and became one of the largest
yeshivas in Warsaw outside of Warsaw
between World War I and World War II
very very Holy Soul a very deep Soul
very elevated Soul someone who composed
music and played music Somebody whose
Soul sang out music and he understood
young people he wrote long before the
Holocaust before the war and if you
learn
his intellectual diary you're exposed to
a person who you feel is speaking right
to you a person who's not speaking to
your head or your heart but a person
who's speaking right to your soul he
writes in the introduction of how the
young people were maturing or they felt
more mature than their years he's
writing in the 1920s no internet no
Google no access to endless information
and young people insulated community of
warsa outside warsa
but he was struggling with young who
felt entitled to opinions and
conclusions and more mature even much
younger than they really were and how do
you deal with and how do you address
that he was really preent he was really
ahead of his time and he thought that
would be the biggest challenge of his
generation little did he know and little
could he see what was coming for him for
Polish jury and for the jury of Eastern
Europe his only son his daughter-in-law
and his sister-in-law were killed by the
Nazis in the bombing of Warsaw September
1939 and after Poland was invaded by the
Nazis he was rounded up together with
his community in the Warsaw Ghetto and
in the Warsaw Ghetto he ran a secret Sho
and in that sh unimaginably unimaginably
if you think giving a a Muna sheir right
now is hard in that sh secret sh in the
war so ghetto he gave Dres he gave
sermons and he scribbled notes of those
sermons and he buried bued them
underneath the ground of the Warsaw
Ghetto hoping that he would survive and
one day collect them and punish publish
them and if not they would survive him
and those themes and those ideas and
those messages would be ones that would
be recorded in posterity and for history
they were part of the en shabas archives
anyone familiar knows that they were
Heroes of the wars so ghetto who were
determined to record what was happening
to them they felt history needed to Mark
whether they would survive or not three
enormous canisters collections of those
notes and those records that included of
the hly pet his ish Kesh the name of the
work which wasn't named it at the time
is kodesh Holy Fire the sermons that
were given in the war Soto two of the
canisters were discovered by polish
workers doing construction near the war
Soto where it was the third has not yet
been discovered so who knows what other
writings or records are in it and only
because of that do we have these
writings these sermons of the Holy
petner
he
um he was later transported after the
war Soto Uprising after it was crushed
in 1943 he and other survivors of the
uprising were taking to the toniki labor
camp which was near Lublin and he was
offered an opportunity to escape from
the concentration camp but he refused he
felt he needed to be with the people
inspiring the people giving to the
people and he refused and ultimately
there he was murdered he was
exterminated
and after the uprising in trinka and
soore there was increased concern by the
Nazis and uh the operation Harvard
Festival if you recall was launched and
in November 1943
onesan the P of Colonus Comm shapira was
murdered his story is amazing he was an
amazing person I gave once in people of
the book we studied about his life and
some of his Works after his son was
murdered he no longer could play music
again again he couldn't his soul
couldn't bring
itself he was an amazing amazing person
so we have we have his holy is KES he
have his holy uh sermons is KES and uh
and we're going to learn his words
together because while I'm inadequate
he's the most qualified in the war Soto
telling a group of Jews who were mere
skeletons who were Shadows of themselves
who had lost family who were losing
loved ones every single day who were
fighting to survive who were living
increasingly losing hope and he had to
every chabas or Whatever frequency
turned to them and try to get a message
across that would be truthful and
accurate and honest and validate and
somehow would touch their soul in a
world that felt Godless and where was he
and abandoned by him but how could he
try to increase that sense of that sense
of amuna that sense of amuna so we're
going to look at his holy words tonight
tomorrow are his UR it so on the eve of
his y site tap into his holy words his
holy words
together then we'll share I forget bring
me back some uh emails I've gotten not
only from those who live in Israel who
connect to this year who share their
emails but a few soldiers on my way in I
got a picture of a soldier who was
standing on the uh edge of a hill he was
holding up a cup that says AA it's not
auna coffee cup but he had a cup that
said AA he said thank you take this into
the Amun here with you beautiful picture
of a soldier who's listening and and and
learning and who is demonstrating for us
what we are learning about more than
just in theory but in theory he and they
are demonstrating
in unbelievable unbelievable practice so
this is AA what we're learning is
something that the P said he delivered
this in um in
1941 this is a book called Torah from
the years of Wrath the historical
context of the ish Kesh my friend
Professor Henry Abramson did a
remarkable job and made a great
contribution by taking the is Kesh and
taking each of the sermons that the
petner gave and telling us what was
going on when it was given if you just
take the Safra and you learn it and it
does appear in Translation I think it's
in English then you don't necessarily
know what the context was what was going
on when the pest said those words so he
has from the years of Wrath 1939 1943
the historical context and he tells us
about this sermon that we're about to
learn that only two sermons June 14th
and July 5th 1941 are recorded in the
three months following pesak 5701 the
ghetto was rocked by Major developments
the tyus epidemic raged on reached its
peak over 150 death daily corpses of
indigent were left abandoned in the
street collected and stacked by the
wagon load for the mass burial a major
contributing factor for the sharp
increase in mortality was the secret
Nazi preparations to to invade the
Soviet Union which affected provisioning
to the whole of Warsaw ironically the
Germans themselves recognized the dire
needs of the ghetto and for a brief
period before the Summer and Autumn of
1941 additional rations were supplied to
the udut for distribution this policy
initiated by The Local District head was
abruptly curtailed in September
indicative of the chaotic nature of the
Nazi bureaucracy he goes on and on and
gives it a lot of context but the
immediate introduction to what we're
going to learn because I want to get to
it he said in the Borderland regions
Decades of anti-bolshevik propaganda
demon the mil militantly atheistic
Soviet Union as the Jewish plot to
dominate Christian Europe in the brief
period between Soviet Nazi regimes
locals frequently vented their anger
upon innocent Jewish populations that
were completely unconnected to the
Soviet
atrocities you know before sheras we
thought words like
pums and
beheadings
rape we thought that those were words of
our history of our past that we would
just get together and you
we get together at Tish we'd Say Never
Again we'd have a slogan but the world
pums and then we woke up to 22
pums 22 pums some that lasted for days
of which were just scratching the
surface of the heinous and barbaric
atrocities that the never again has
happened
again the world is quickly pivoting and
shifting away from its sympathy and
support and
all the more reason that we need to turn
to there is no one to lean on or turn to
or
trust it's an incredible statement of
the president that shouldn't be lost on
all of us we should be whatever our
politics unbelievably grateful to get on
a plane and go to a war zone to show
support and intervene and send billions
of dollars and military aid but with it
I'll because With It ultimately we don't
trust elected officials and princes and
dignitaries
it's hasem it's all Hashem it's all
Hashem barrage of rockets that were
headed for K not one of them
successfully launched or reached and
instead while we mourn of course we
mourn the tragic loss of Civilian lives
but that failed to make it across a
border as apparently is being reported
now hundreds of rockets yesterday failed
to get across and out of
Gaza there's no one to lean on other
than the southern Center of lavv
regarding by many as Poland's Second
City angry locals attacked Jews in the
streets in quasi spontaneous pagram that
lasted four days and took the lives of
4,000
Jews this also gives you a a it doesn't
minimize what we've just experienced and
the grief and the loss and the pain we
feel but it
it helps us realize how
unfathomable everything that happened a
week and a half ago in Israel was one
run of one gas chamber in a few minutes
at aitz of one day
1400 it makes the Six Million number
just just beyond comprehension where
this pagum that took 4,000 lives in four
days that's a footnote it's it's a
footnote pums because Jews were blamed
by local polish angry local polls for
it's a footnote to 4,000 4,000 the
magnitude of the Holocaust 4,000 is a
footnote reports the violence shocked
the ghetto till operation Barbosa the
experience of Jews and warsa was one of
incrementally increasingly pressure
arguments over the borders of the ghetto
until it was sealed and so on the typhus
the increasing tight rate of typhus
punctuated by the occasional Act of
Senseless violence the pams of leiv
however were of a different order of
magnitude perpetrated by locals on a
wide scale polish were not innocent byst
standards photographs in the period show
Jewish women forced to clean the streets
with their undergarments before a crowd
of hooting onlookers Jews with blooded
faces running from boys arms with sticks
resulting in thousands of murders in a
short space of time Warsaw Jews were not
inured to such Horrors on the following
shabas the rebbi got up and addressed
their
concerns so what we're about to
learn what we're about to see is how the
rebba got up and what he said to petner
when those in the war Sago learned that
4,000 of their brothers and sisters were
brutally murdered and raped and forced
to clean streets naked and in
undergarments and the Reb had to get up
to a group of
skeletons and say something what would
he say and this is what he said I gave
you the whole piece it's
longas is Paras is what's a that which
is incomprehensible that which we can't
understand that which is beyond our
capacity for understanding a you know
the type of Mitzvah the category of
Mitzvah that we have to Simply surrender
we have to Simply submit we have to
Simply say
Hashem it says your world you're in
charge you're in control when you tell
me to jump I say how high I can't
understand I don't feel entitled to
understand I don't feel capable of
understanding this is your world and he
goes through that in the whole first
half of this sermon this drha this essay
and I encourage you to look at it but I
want to go to the paragraph I don't know
the copy it's
begins so you have it in the English
again I thank Dr Abramson for his
translation those who want to follow the
English those who want to learn it in
the Hebrew it's on the second
page you know we've been using that
expression Monday night we had over a
thousand people here
CommunityWide
not yov is is when we're not in the
state of G and Yeshua when we're not
living our best selves when we are not
on top of our world where Yakov is is
the real ation is is our destiny yov is
when we walk with a limp it's
[Music]
anov so what happens when yob is
suffering when there's suffering when
there's tragedy when there's challenge
around us while it's true that this
provides atonement for a person's sins
who has his calculations his calculus
his ways and the suffering in this world
somehow atones repairs for the mistakes
the sins we don't dare we don't dare
suggest how that works or what those
sins are we are not God we don't compete
with him anyone who tells you this is
why or this is the explanation or this
is the punishment or this is the reason
distance yourself as far as you can go
in the world from them we each can ask
how can we learn how can we grow how can
we improve what we can take on from this
however we dare D dare not suggest an
association or direct link of why but
this is the rebis speaking to a group in
the Warsaw Ghetto fighting to survive
and for their lives the day after
4,000 were wiped out in a local pagum
and he says aov when there's tragedy and
Calamity and atrocity when there's
significant Jewish loss and crisis of
course it's somehow a
konos but the nature of a person is to
be ever more aware of themselves to be
focused on
themselves me how do I feel how am I
dealing what am I
doing that phenomenon exists even though
outside of Israel their own mental
health how it's impacting them how they
feel how this is how the news is
affecting them but those who are the
heart of the of the
crisis because all day long a person is
immersed in their own suffering they
feel this is painful this is missing
it's all they think about it's all
they're concentrating on their child
who's in Israel who's studying who's
living who's serving their nephews their
family claw as a
whole because is it possible for a
person to be hit to be struck and not to
experience physical pain spoke about in
C Snippets last night if if you're hit
and you don't yell ouch then you're not
in pain in the para class yesterday Noah
is held accountable there may Noah the
whole flood is attributable to Noah why
because he didn't DAV ah but he already
knew there weren't enough righteous in
his generation he already knew that he
couldn't Inspire his generation he
already knew they were irredeemable so
why bother daving how could we hold them
accountable if the daving wouldn't have
made a difference says the brisker of
you know why because when you stub your
toe and you get a shot at the doctor
when you scream ouch did it help did it
make the pain go away did it do anything
no but you know if you're in pain you
scream ouch and if you didn't scream
then the nurse or the doctor or the
person in the room with you has no
reason to believe you're in pain if you
don't scream there's no reason for
anyone around you to think you're in
pain if you're in pain you scream
whether it hurts or whether it helps
sorry or not so no they're called May no
the because whether the would have
helped or not Noah should have screamed
just to reflect the pain you're wiping
out an entire world a flood that's
wiping out in a hard reset and a reboot
on the whole
world so says the pet of course it's
natural of course it's understandable
that a person who in their own pain you
read the headline and you say ow ow this
hurts the Distortion the propaganda and
the News telling lies about a hospital
and who's
responsible embassies on fire rallies
1,400 funerals families
grieving an amazing person in our
community who I love who came up to me
to ask he's saying Kadesh for the loss
of his mother and read about entire
families that were wiped out and there's
no one to say Kadesh for them for
children and asked if he could say
Kadesh to get their names of course we
think how does this affect me how does
it impact me how does it hurt me what do
I need to do for
self-care by
and those who are on the front lines
those who are the target of the threat
of the enemies of our hatred of course
they are preoccupied with how do I
survive my safe room my brother my
sister-in-law in gush and alone who
until now were worried about Rockets So
the safe room you wanted to make sure
that it was accessible from the outside
because God forbid a rocket hit your
house and people came to rescue you they
needed to be able to get into the safe
room to get you out but now that they're
not as worried about Rockets as they are
about infiltrators now the whole
calculation is different how do you lock
the room from the inside to make sure
that if people are shooting and beating
and knocking down that door there's no
way they can get in and they sent me the
advertisement because this is normal
right a Jewish Community needs to have
an advertisement not a WhatsApp group
about the local animal show for pares
Noah not a WhatsApp group if you want to
buy kala or participate in the kalalake
but that Z group of do you want to have
installed the special new lock inside
your mad inside your safe room so that
nobody could get in because which are
you more afraid of the Rockets or the
infiltration you need to be more
concerned about locking it from the
outside or from the inside of course
that's what a person thinks about
they're a Target they're on the front
lines these aren't normal conversations
these aren't normal conversations
considerations let's have a family
meeting what are we more worried about
how should we take the initiative to
best protect
ourselves
and says the re immersed on his pain and
suffering regresses to a lower form of
divine service which is predicated on
his awareness of his physical condition
what happens God is knocked out of the
equation because all we're thinking
about is what do I need to do to survive
those in Israel of course understandably
what initiative what efforts what
precautions what do we need to do to
survive those outside of Israel how do
we emotionally practice selfcare and
resilience what do we need to do in
absorbing the news and showing our
concern in rallying and advocating I was
on the phone for hours yesterday Qatar
is a key here because they're harboring
Kamas leaders and they can apply the
pressure to let those who are being held
hostage be released what are the
pressure points with Qatar who have a
business deal with the Nets and who are
applying the Heat tonight in the
preseason everyone's consumed with where
are the angles where are the pressure
points what difference can we make what
rally can we attend but wres the pet the
war Soto you're looking for your next
morsel of food you're looking for your
next little water you're looking for the
next place you could hide you're looking
for the next place you could survive
that's a very low level of a hasem we
regress to the lowest level of
mindfulness and self-awareness and
service of hasem and the of spirituality
of spirituality so what do we do skip to
the next paragraph skip the next
paragraph and this is the message I
wanted to get across to you today as
someone who's grossly inadequate to talk
about amuna right now here's the message
I wanted to get across here's the Reb's
message you want to arouse Divine Mercy
that's what we all want and need we all
want some miracle so our boys don't need
to go in on the ground that hostages are
freed and the Hamas is eliminated and
purged and wiped out from this Earth and
that Gaza becomes a resort Community
extension of Israel maybe the future
home of BRS East along the ocean along
the sea that's what we desperately want
that's what we want to arouse divine
mercy
and we want Hashem to temper the harsh
Divine judgment harsh Divine judgment
because that's what we're feeling that's
what the rebit turning to this group in
the secret synagogue in the wars so
ghetto says I know what you're feeling
because I feel it Hashem is practicing
din Hashem is practicing where's the ra
where's the compassionate father he's
practicing din strict Justice and strict
judgment and it hurts it hurts when a
parent is punishing when a parent feels
callous and cruel and removed and
distant it hurts where's that loving
parent where are they we want to turn
them and pivot them from the parent
who's enraged and practicing strict D
from that loving loving parent who's
overflowing with ra and with compassion
how listen to what the Reb
says
you want AEM to turn to overflowing and
overwhelming and endless love and
compassion then we need to practice
endless love and compassion and
kindness not just that you're willing to
give and provide everything you're
capable of giving and sharing again
where morsels of bread and where drops
of water made the difference of life and
death the PB is turning to the Jews of
the war Soto and saying share what you
have don't just be focused on your
survival you wantem to show you show you
want hem to show Mercy you have mercy
arouse that awaken that within
you the very Mercy we ar within
ourselves has an effect on the Heavenly
realm don't become accustomed to Jewish
suffering don't become numb to the
overwhelming degree of suffering such
that our mercy of Jews is deadened their
skeletons in the streets they're piling
up in wagons they're waiting to be
buried people are dropping Dead all
around you said the rebba do not become
adjusted do not become accustomed do not
ever allow that to become a new normal
don't allow headlines and images and
storylines don't allow videos to ever
become a new normal don't watch them
casually and callously and forward them
and pass them
on don't ever let that be a new normal
every image every news flesh every
update about the loss of a yisha life
but a child about those who are running
to shelters stop Shake shudder Daven
feel feel feel
raus feel sympathy feel empathy feel
your own pain because we're all
extensions of one
another on the contrary the heart should
melt at the bitterness of this suffering
we should be sick sickened over what's
happening
inconsolable I wrote about it this week
but if someone says to me you know Rabbi
I need a good distraction for this x
fill in the blank we all need a
distraction from what's need a
distraction
your child's in the ICU you want to be
distracted from that you can't be
distracted from that nothing and no one
in the world could distract you from
that that doesn't mean that you should
watch the news 246 we have to pace
ourselves shut it off whatever you need
to know you need to know that's very
damaging and dangerous and unhealthy I'm
not a proponent of it don't be glued to
the news Non-Stop and you can't walk
around one of the letter writers well
see if we have time to get to these
letters one of the people who wrote to
me said you know I I feel how could I do
laundry how could I wash the dishes how
could I make dinner with what's going we
have to live life we have to live life
you can't say tillum all day lose your
job lose your income have nothing to eat
but within that not want to and not be
capable of being distracted it's
constantly in the background with
whatever we're doing in that moment
laundry or shopping or dinner or going
to work or having a conversation that's
not about the mat of in Israel but still
it's playing in the background it's the
noise in the background the entire time
just like if a close family
member one spouse or parent or child
were in crisis could anyone or anything
distract you from that would you want to
be distracted could you be capable said
the rebba you know how you arous divine
mercy and compassion and Love by
practicing compassion and mercy and
Endless Love by being acutely connected
with the pain of
others
arousing Mercy within us will affect two
things firstly our our prayers on behalf
of the Jewish people become more
heartfelt more
heartfelt when you're
living when you're feeling
when when I'm picturing running to a
shelter locking the door having to make
the decision from the outside or the
inside having a loved one who you have
no idea their fate or where they are or
what's going on with them or when or how
you'll get them back and in what state
your doing won't be the same it can't be
the same can't be can't be spoke about
in snippit last night if your sh is the
same
length today as it was
before you got to find out if you really
are a Jew if you have Jewish ancestry
you got to test your DNA you gotta you
got to really look in the mirror and ask
yourself what kind of connection you
have to Hashem and to his people to the
Jewish people if your doing is not a
little bit longer a second 5 Seconds 30
seconds if you're not
inserting if you're not putting into if
you're not putting in bring a a miracle
and Redemption if you're not saying to
hem protect our soldiers bring the
captured home give strength a sense in
your own words that's what is a template
the real most important part of is not
what's written in the sitter so what's
written in your heart speak talk to him
unburden yourself yell at him he can
handle it he's waiting for you to do it
he wants you he wants to see that the
mercy in you has been aroused said the
rebba again it's mindboggling to picture
he's in the Warsaw Ghetto and there's
been a pagum in Warsaw taking 4,000
lives young girls beautiful benos Torah
BOS being paraded naked in the streets
and the Reb says you want hasem to wake
up and
intervene you know how hasm will do that
when we wake up and when we love and
when we care and when we do everything
that we can
listen to what he said as is known from
cabalistic literature there are times
when a decree of salvation for the Jews
has already been issued in heaven but
its implementation is delayed due to its
otherworldliness and its inability to
descend to this world and assume
physical Garb so when it is not merely
an intellectual awareness alone that
Jews have an obligation to support one
another but rather one manifests Mercy
with one's entire being then one's
prayers are beneficial in drawing down
the Salvation into world in the realm of
the physical since one is transformed
into a vessel of Mercy both in one's
heart and with one's character you hear
what he says to the Jews of warsa the
war ghetto sometimes Hashem has a Yeshua
Hashem has salvation he's got a plan
he's got a solution but it's not yet
able to be brought down to this world
there's no vessel through it to express
itself for it to be captured for it to
be able to manifest we become that
vessel when we show that Mercy that love
that kindness that concern when we are
inconsolable while we are interconnected
while we have that Unity then we become
that vessel for that salvation to be
able to come down it's waiting for us
for you and me for that act of kindness
for that text or that email that call to
someone in Israel I'm thinking about you
I care about you I'm checking in on you
tell me every day at this time we're
going to sit and have a cup of coffee
together on on WhatsApp video every day
to check in if you want if it means
something to
you constantly to check in to care to
love to make you feel you're not
invisible that we didn't move on that we
didn't go back that we're
involved to pass up on a luxury and take
that money and make a difference in the
solders life with the military equipment
they need and with the love and with the
gesture to rally and to write letters
and to protest to DAV to do good and
kindness Lo for one another and we're
seeing that CLA is Has Come Together in
ways none of us ever ever imagined or
thought or dreamt clel is on
fireus a Unity the likes of which I've
never seen in my life the divisions and
the walls have come crumbling down that
kept Jews apart from one another secular
and religious and right-wing and
leftwing and for judicial reform and
against judicial reform a Jew is a Jew
or across the globe and in Israel non
koser restaurants and T of kering so
they can give kosher food to soldiers
people Distributing and making tizas who
never knew what they were or wore a pair
in their
lives and love and connection bell
saying the forah which for some about
time and it's obvious but it's not so
obvious in the different traditions and
the and
the Hashem we're we're turning ourselves
into that vessel into that CLE that the
PB told us we have to we have to not
only increase our davening its intensity
its frequency its length it's
mindfulness but we have to demonstrate
that Aus that love that compassion that
kindness because we have to become that
vessel that can hold Hashem you have the
plan you have the solution you have the
way out you have the revenge for those
who need to be eliminated from this
Earth you have it all ready to go
sometimes the parent knows the solution
for their children but their children
need to first get
along the children are all putting time
out because they're misbehaving and they
can't get along the parents says the
vacation's off the trip is cancelled the
Kaneka gifts are not coming out of the
closet I'm not giving you what you want
because you can't get along and the
parents is watching they're holding the
gifts they're ready to give it they've
got the tickets for the vacation for the
trip for how they want to spoil those
children they're holding on to it
they're they're they're in the other
room they're listening around the corner
just begging the children just just just
show a Little Love a Little compassion
just give each other a hug just work
this out because the second you do then
I can shower you with all that I'm
holding back that I have that I want to
give you I I would never dare suggest
this this isn't my thought this is the p
in the war ghetto who ultimately will be
murdered by
The Who already lost his only son and
his daughter-in-law and his family and
he's telling these Jews who just
witnessed to pagam this is what we need
to do this is how we demonstrate amuna
who lean into amuna and live with
we want Hashem to show his Mercy his
love his kindness we need to become that
vessel he's listening he's around the
corner he's watching he says you're
doing pretty good you're doing pretty
well you've really come together you've
really
connected but there's more to do there's
more to do ding more intensely ding more
often ding more selflessly thinking
about others do more show up more be
counted more care more give more support
more support more that's the answer
yesterday a soldier sent me a text I
don't know him
tovia my name is to AB Goldberg my name
is toia I won't read his last name I
don't have his permission this is the
WhatsApp
message was accompanied by a four-minute
voice note and he says in it we're going
in soon and I don't know none of us know
what happens after so I want to leave
this voice note before we go
in because that's normal for a 20-y old
to leave a voice note for some Rabbi he
never met I'm about to go into a war to
defend the Jewish people and I don't
know if I'll come home so I want to make
sure I leave you this voice
note and he left a beautiful voice note
which I'm not playing for you or telling
you but this was the short text that
accompanied it I'm a 20-year-old IDF
Soldier currently preparing towards
entering Gaza I greatly appreciate if
you get a chance to listen to the voice
message I apologize for not sending an
email but due to the circumstances I'm
not in a state of mind to do so thank
you for all that you've done for me
personally and for your community and
for the entire Jewish people which is
the most ridiculous thing for him to
write
me but it's this sentence that I want to
share with you this is what he
writes we now know in practice what we
knew in theory that we are more that we
are stronger and more unified than we
sometimes mistakenly
believe
that was his message on a four-minute
incredible voice note we now know and
practice what we knew in theory that we
are stronger and more unified than we
sometimes mistakenly
[Music]
believe we have that strength we have
that resilience we have that faith we
have that hope we have that love we have
that
Unity we have
it I'll tell you there are things left
and right that that are that are worthy
of being bothered by this one's reacting
this way this one posted that thing this
one insisted this this one at the rally
they sang this they left this out at the
community rally they they didn't have
this this was on the Bea this wasn't on
the Bea this one participated they
didn't participate I I like you can tell
you about a billion things that are
upsetting but none of them should upset
you I am working overtime in myself I'm
not always successful but I'm sharing
that I'm working hard and even when
people and even when people very close
to me who I love very much say doesn't
that bother you or don't you want to say
something nope nothing bothers me right
now we're just only tell me about the
things that we have in common only talk
about the things that bring me together
and the organization the Yeshiva the
school the WhatsApp group the person who
posted whatever they're doing or doing
differently than you would want or
different that you like or different
move on who cares it doesn't matter all
that matters right now are what we agree
on what we have in common where we find
Common Ground how we can feel unified
how we can love each other because what
we knew in theory that we are stronger
and more unified than we sometimes
mistakenly believe
all that differences and all those
demonstrations while the content of them
and the disagreements of them are
important but the way that we were
displaying it was narish was silliness
underneath it the real us the true us
was this United and unified
single
one don't let anything bother you right
now don't let anything bother you with
it you want Shalom you want peace in
Israel start with shalom in our
homes don't let anything your spouse
does your children do your in-laws do
your parents do just just more than any
other time in your life don't let it
bother
you it's hard it's hard we're all we
have less patience than we've ever had
we're on greater Edge than we've ever
been we're more fragile EST State than
we can remember being in so it's hard
it's
hard so what so what you want shom you
want pieces in Israel why should Hashem
bring peace in Israel if we can't have
peace in our homes if we can't have
peace with our neighbor we can't have
peace with the person who next and Sh
can't have peace with the person who
sends their child to a different School
wears a different yamaka doesn't wear
yamaka at
all we can't make peace with everyone
around
us we dve in with our lips and we dve in
with our actions is what the P was
saying we dve with our lips and we dve
with our actions we dve with the words
and the sit and theum we dve with our
actions I want peace Hashem I'm showing
you that I can become a vessel of Peace
look even though people are frustrating
and annoying and encourageable I'm not
letting anything bother me I'm looking
the other way I'm simply not going to
allow it to escalate I'm
not we have to demonstrate we have to
demonstrate next email
Anonymous hi Rabbi my husband and father
of my my three young kitties have been
on the Gaza border but tomorrow they're
doing drills to prep for one day before
going into Gaza I'm sick to my stomach I
want to
puke I'm sitting in my car stuffing my
face with soggy french fries trying to
numb the fear but it's not working I
decided to go and see if you had put out
an amuna share this past week on Spotify
referencing our current events but to my
dismay the last year was dated September
I know I need to have amuna right now
and I believe with my whole heart that
whatever happens is for my best I know
that Hashem loves me and is doing what's
good for me but I'm scared and nauseous
because what if Hashem decides that
what's best for me what I need to be is
a single mom for the rest of my
life in capital letters I will not
function I can't breathe at the thought
and then I think why am I stressing out
about something that may never happen
because I'm being practical and a
realist and asking my husband now for
all the passwords to the banking apps
does me being sick to my stomach mean
I'm not actually having real amuna I
believe is running the whole show but
what if I have to go through this for
the tikon or the bigger picture I don't
want to go through this I'm scared stiff
to that challenge help me come out on
top of this I want to drive and see him
before he goes into Gaza I haven't seen
him since lunchtime last shabas it's
been more than a week but I'm scared to
put myself in danger and desperate for
my
kids well there are scary sirens and
Rockets I don't know how to think
anymore on a regular day we do our ASAS
and stay safe by not walking into rala
today for me to drive an hour and a half
to his base and see him when they are
advising people not to go out if
necessary is that isless I don't know
what to
do this is the State of Affairs this is
where we're at this is how people feel
these are our re and teachers of amuna
because this woman I don't know who she
is this Anonymous
writer even in asking those questions
and struggling is
demonstrating unbelievable amuna these
are our teachers these are she's having
the conversation with herself she's
giving herself the answers to the
questions and she's got this she's got
this the resilience to persevere but to
be shaky and to be nauseous that's
legitimate and real having amuna maybe
we'll end with this for today there are
more emails and more to talk about but
another week next week and please God by
then this will be over but it likely
won't so there'll be more to discuss but
it's important to end with this
note living with
amuna does not mean that you don't feel
anxious or worried or afraid that's not
what it
means yes we
learned that da fear is a Biblical
prohibition and it reflects a pagam in
amuna but that's like irrational fear
that's daily the silly fears that can
creep in what if we miss the flight what
if what if the kala doesn't come out
good the D doesn't rise what if even
what if I don't get into that school
what if those are the fears the say lean
into your Amun and you will be able to
eliminate those fears but to live with
anxiousness
all I've got to face this struggle this
confrontation it's concerning it's
agitating it's aggravating it's anxiety
building but I'm turning to you in other
words this is how I feel this is what's
normal and rational to fear but I'm
turning to you and channeling it through
you and I'm leaning in with you so if
you're feeling it don't feel bad or
guilty or ashamed those are natural and
normal feelings at this time but we're
meant to channel and to lean in and to
focus and to bring it and to bring it to
to our relationship with Hashem so
tonight tomorrow the holy the Earth site
of the Holy
pah through our learning of his Torah
through his touching ourish through our
inspiring his elevating AR Nas to have
the courage The Bravery the
resilience to live with amuna in this
incredible time to arouse the divine
mercy and compassion by practicing our
own mercy and compassion by continuing
to be aware of and invested in and
loving to all those who are struggling
and suffering to not be capable of being
distracted even while we have to pace
ourselves and take breaks but in the
background always remain connected to
what's happening there that ultimately
Hashem always has and always will bring
a g in Yeshua to claw Israel and somehow
bring this out of it should happen
speedily speedily should happen
today please stay