Living with Emunah (Part 348)

Good morning and good kesh and good yontiff and good. Welcome back to living with amuna. The amuna series is generously sponsored by Dr. Zavian Bella Morgan in memory of Rabbi Dr. Brian Galbet in memory of her mother Dr. Ellen Chanzer and a shmeir should be a protection for all of our holy precious soldiers. May our hostages come home as always a huge thank you to the Morgans. This morning is also sponsored by Michael and Estie Lupin and Yafa Gutman in memory of Malia on her first year at site this specialy by Susan and Charles Rajasthan her beloved mother and lastly for of Mayor Mosha Aron Ban Dvor Naomi and I want to share with you an email as part of that last sponsorship and the Rafu Schlma which should all den very hard mayor Mosha Aron has a complete and a speedy Rafua Schlma And the author of that says the following. I'm sure you heard about the horrific car accident that claimed the lives of three yeshiva bakram in Lakewood early Friday morning. There were a total of five boys in the car. One of which was my grandson. She writes that the entire world is currently praying for. Please dedicate tomorrow. The fifth boy is been discharged and is home. And I'd like to share the following with you and the amuna listeners. As we all know and believe, we are not in control. only Hashem is and we internalize daily aodo there's no one there's nothing but him my grandson although currently fighting a severe brain trauma and many burns and broken bones will please God eventually be okay the day before the accident home for an offshabas from his out of town yeshiva he was busy raising funds for the yeshiva's campaign as the car he was in with close friends went up in flames after it hit a deer and swerved head-on into a tree in the form of a random nearby by person saw what happened, somehow ran over and helped Mishi pulling him out of the car amidst flames and explosions. Mishi was already unconscious and the person called 911 immediately. A first reaction when a group of members knocked on my children's door to tell them the news, my daughter-in-law's reaction was, "Why us? What did we do to deserve this?" And then as the story unfolded and unfortunately the news of the passing of his three closest friends came through, she changed the emphasis of her question. Same question but different meaning. Why us? What did we do to deserve this? This extreme hug, the kindness, the gift from the sham. It's with tremendous and gratitude mixed with huge thoughts of for a complete rafu as well as tremendous sadness for the families of his three friends that I sitting now in the hospital room write this letter to you. Maybas for all of Israel and should have a complete on the families of those who lost their sons should find comfort and strength during this difficult and impossible time. How uh quickly the why me can turn into a why me? Why me? And I shared with you already several times Weiss when he was here earlier this year said that people who experience tragedy and hardship, suffering and struggle, they say why me? Why me? And nobody wakes up in the morning when everything's going well and wonderful and everything's working and your headcount in your house is the same and nobody says why me? Why do I have such braha? Why is every because when everything goes right, we deserve it. We're entitled to it. It's coming to us. When things go wrong, why me? My neighbor is a terrible person and I'm a good person. Should happen to them, not me. But Raashaw said when he was here, if we would say more, why me? When the brahas and the good things happen, if we'd acknowledge it's all from you and we're undeserving and we gratefully receive it and we feel responsible and obligated with it, if we'd say why me? I'm undeserving with humility. I know it comes from you. Maybe we'll have to ask less. But why me about some of those some of those challenging things? So that's why right a person who who always that shift and that description of her own children who first answered the door why me why is this happening when you heard the fate of the others in the car the why me changed very much. Rabbi gober couple as well last week listening to living with the mish you mentioned an idea that you have referenced often that we should live with the idea that the eye is the nishama not the gof. We spent last week talking about we are a soul that has a body. We're not a body that has a soul. I agree both with the idea and also that we struggle to truly live life that way. The opening phrase of elk seems to be at odds with this notion. However, we say the soul you put in me. Wouldn't this imply that we are the gof we're the body and the nama is placed within us? Thank you for the wonderful insights and smiles you bring life and many others. All the best. So, I thought that was a great question. That question actually got me thinking. That question got me thinking. We're a soul that has a body, not a body that has a soul. So, why do we describe God, the soul you put in me? Who's the me? Who's the me? So I refer you to the part 10 of the Tanya Shir which I happen to have given a few moments ago this morning where we addressed not the question specifically but what we learned and spoke about addresses this question in the following way. We're all made up of two parts. We have this body, we have the soul, we have the animal soul and then we have the godly soul. The mish spoke about this morning. It's not some hypothetical. It's not some conceptual. It's not some feel-good hebji. We have a piece of God in us, mameish. We literally have a piece of God in us. And when you're looking for God and when you're searching for him, when you have doubt and uncertainty and you say, "God, just reveal yourself to me. Just speak to me. Just show me and tell me you're here." And we're looking everywhere. We look in history and we look in nature and we look in the seemingly random things that happen. We look everywhere. Do you know where we should look first and foremost? Do you know where we should look most? Inside ourselves. God is literally in you. When you woke up this morning, you have a consciousness and you have a conscience. When you woke up this morning and you have memory and experiences, when you woke up this morning and you have feelings, when you woke up this morning with a sense of mission that you woke up this morning, there's a piece of God in you. Stop looking everywhere else. And all you have to do is look in the mirror literally or figuratively to feel that my moral compass, my consciousness, my conscience, that's God. That's you in me. Mamesh literally there's a piece of God in me. So it's the second paric of Tanya and it begins the nephesh hashis. The second soul that we have is the godly soul. Why? Because the first we have is the vessel, the body, the animal and then we receive the godly soul. So, I think that this question is not really a question. The soul you put in me, my soul is 5,785 years old. My body, I won't tell you how old mine is, but my body is whatever age. The soul you put in me, in my body, the soul's existed forever. It's been in your file cabinet. You reached in, you took it out, and you put it into this body so that it would animate this body. It would express the free will of this body. The body is the vehicle for the soul to make choices, express free will in this world. And then you will extract that soul. We spoke about last week the san the extraction of the soul. That could either be unbearably painful because the more one identifies with the body and not the soul. The more one indulges, protects the body and not the soul, the more painful it is to have the soul extracted. And the more one knew all along, I'm a soul. I'm just wearing a body like a garment. That when you take off the garment, it's not painful. It's the opposite when you get to take off the ta at the end of the night. It's not painful. It's the ultimate bliss. It's the ultimate pleasure. Finally, I could take off this straight jacket called a suit and tie. Finally, I could comfortable and relax. So, the soul is free, is liberated of the body. That's not painful. That's in fact pleasurable. That's bliss. That's what Kazal call is misus nika, the kiss of death because it's pleasurable. So, chronologically from our experience in this world, which did we get first? The body and then God put the soul in it. And that's why we say you put you put it be you put it that's all describing the body the animal in us and then God the second is what you put is the godly soul and I think that is the answer to that question that connects to our learning of last week but which is the real me what has always existed that will always exist the real me is the soul I am a soul right now being housed in a body, but my soul existed long before the body. And my soul will continue to exist for eternity immortality long after the body. And that's why, as I said last week, we don't we don't bury people, we bury bodies. People don't die, their body dies. We don't mourn people. We m we mourn the loss of our contact or connection to them through their through their body. But the soul is immortal. The soul is eternal. And the soul lives on. And there's a zoar. I don't can't pull it up right now. We have I don't remember if I said this last week. We have a tradition. There are times where that soul descends. It comes back down. That's how real it is. Again, mamish. It's not a hebi idea. It's not some nice comforting idea. It's not the opium of the masses idea just to cope with life. It's true. It's authentic. It's as real as anything else. So the zor says that when someone gets married, the souls of their loved ones descend from heaven to be under the ka to be at that wedding. Not some nice idea. They are there and they are present. And we incorporate that sometimes. We use a talis other symbols that we bring this symbolism today. When you go to the cemetery, some have the custom to take a wedding invitation and put it on top of the tombstone to literally invite that soul to come down and come to the wedding. I don't know what they do if it's an evite how to figure that out. I don't know what the address the email address of the soul in heaven is like your loved one at heaven.org com. I don't know what uh you know how you sell the send the invite but it's it's to be taken literally and it's powerful and it's meaningful and it informs our entire lives and it's the mission of our lives. The mission of our lives is to enjoy the body. I enjoy my clothing, but I don't confuse the clothing with who I am. The clothing is simply functional. The clothing is transactional. The clothing has a utility. The clothing is not who I am. I'm never confused that the clothing is who I am. It's something that I have. I've never I shouldn't say that. I'm PUM. I was going to say I never wear I don't have a I don't wear. I'm PUM. It's why one day a year I get to have hair. So maybe you have shhat collection and you get which is the real me that's who I see in the mirror that's who I look that's what I have done that's what I comb and brush that's what I have styled that's what I take a mortgage to buy that's what I have that's what I have and you can get confused and think that's me but you you take it off and you put it back on that shait head and you say that's not me that's not me you get spooked out in the middle of the night or your husband does from that head and the shaitel and if the light from the moon hits just the right way and you think there's a robber in your room I don't know if anyone's ever shot aait head in the middle of the night yet, but that's gonna happen sometime soon. You think you're getting robbed, but you know that that that's not me. That's that's what I wear. That's how I express myself. That's my individuality, my creativity, but it's not me. So, the body is not me. It's what I'm wear. It's what my soul is wearing for 70, 80, 100 years. We celebrated by Fox's 101st birthday this morning earlier. It's what I wear for 120 years. Please God. But it's not me. It's not me. So now I know that my clo enjoy nice clothing. Wear it well. Take good care of it. Send it to the dry cleaners. Hang it up. Enjoy it. But don't ever confuse it with who you are. So the body too. Get the pleasures of the body of this world. Enjoy. Enjoy. Enjoy. Eat, rest, intimacy. Enjoy the pleasures, but don't ever there confuse it with so it informs our mission in this world. We're a soul and we connect to other people's soul. Soul connection. Those are real relationships. Is the soul connection, soulmates and soul connection and soul friendship, not just the utility friendship. Oh, on the body, external superficial physical level, we like the same foods, we vacation the same places, we like the same physical things. Nothing wrong with that also. But that's not a soul friendship. That's not a soulmate. The soul connection is the person who speaks to your soul. That's eternity. That's immortality. That's connecting to the divine. that's connecting to the divine in the other and that's helping me feel the divine in myself. We know we have those people that we have fun with, we laugh with, we eat with, we vacation with, we have fun with. But there are those people that every interaction or after you spend time with them, your soul is nourished. It's hydrated. It's more alive. There are friends or people in our past, hopefully members of our family, maybe if we're lucky, it's our spouse, who after those interactions and conversations, they've spoken and awoken our soul. There's something big, everlasting, immort immortal, the divine, the mamish, that connection in me. There's something bigger going on. I feel more alive. I feel more alive. So, this is not just a nice idea. It's a mission statement for how to live life to know I am a soul being housed by a body. So yes, B be is the body and the soul is in is in me is B for now. Back to emails and we'll get back to our text. Hi go. I'm finally emailing you about the great impact living on the moon. Thank you for the compliments blah blah blah. I had wanted to email a few weeks ago and as life goes I didn't end up doing so. Then as you know a quintessential embrace your place moment happened this past Sunday at Dunkin Donuts in Queens, New York. I know it's a bit long but seeing Hashem's guidance unfold can have many steps along the way. This year shortly after pes was the 10th year at sight of my dear father and as I was preparing for the annual now virtual shar I give to mark the significant passage of time through reflecting on his legacy and learning Torah my father's favorite this year at the sed I was struck by the words we recite blessed is the place right before we read about the four sons where the word mak is translated as the omnipresent knowing Hebrew I thought wait the literal translation is the place I wondered why this was the chosen wording used to refer to hashem instead of simply saying any of god's more familiar names and why was this the English translation most commonly used the omnipresent blessed is the omni omnipresent means place not omnipresent later on I looked at two other places where am is used that came to mind when leaving a mourner sitting shiva we say the special verse may the comfort you in the well-known song which has become a national anthem Jewish police since October 7th we sing may the have mercy in both places is taken to These discoveries led to the topic of this here. What's your place? What one word can teach us without going into the entire now I shared that this word amum these context is used to convey times when hashem feels feels hidden to us. It is a reminder that Hashem is always in the place with us as hashem is in every space and place even when we feel confused when dealing with the four different sons and attitudes when we have lost a loved one when anyone in our family is suffering. Hammock is God from a distance. But even wherever we are, even if we feel lost or isolated or alone, Hashem is in that place, too. For me, the word conveys understanding that sometimes Hashem seems far away. And it's okay to experience a shift when facing sign significant challenges. We may not be able to fully connect Hashem when we may need space and the place to deeply feel yet. Hashem and his infinite understanding is with us in whatever place we find ourselves. At that point of preparing the shear, with little time to spare, I still needed something to tie things together and deeply connect to my father. I didn't think much of it at the time, but I was feeling a need to reconnect to the living with Emuna series you share. I've been listening regularly during co for quite some time after moved and inspired by the content. More recently, I'd not been listening regularly and had not listened for some time. The episode I just happened to choose was the one before Pes where embrace your place came up. Smile and the whole world smiles with you. While I was listening, I was deeply inspired by the idea and phrase and knew this was exactly what I needed to complete the sheer in memory of my father. My father was an embrace your place kind of guy. He is for life in all different situations. Modeled and taught coating yourself with chicken fat. Putting one foot in front of the other. I don't know what that means exactly. Doing what is needed, facing whatever comes in your place and space. He also had strong faith. I guess means let things slide off you. He never missed a day of domining. He arranged for Jewish funerals and coring coraling at least a minion for people who had no close Jewish connections. He believed one's final place should be one with dignity and Hashem's presence no matter what. After I gave my shear, I wanted to email you to share exactly to share how excited I was because this mindset brought the entire yard shear together with the impact ongoing since. I also wanted to find out how I can get an embrace your place sticker for my car now that this idea so related to my father. And then life happened and writing the email went into my to-do space. Then this past Sunday, my son and I were going back and forth about whether we were going to get a slurpee at 7-Eleven or a donut at nearby Dunkin Donuts. After our deliberations, we finally decided we go to Dunkin Donuts. As we walked into Duncan, there you were with Rabbi Moscowitz, who's a dear friend to my husband and I, and whom we've also learned beautiful Torah from, both enjoying your donut stop. I couldn't believe it. What were the chances these two holy book residents were sitting in my local Duncan at this exact time my son and I arrived? I guess that is exactly where you were supposed to be so I could thank you in person. What an incredible opportunity in real time to be in the exact place all at the same time. Grateful to Hashem for every place that can be elevated through him. And the icing on the donut is now my car or my m mindful muck that is graced with the sticker you handed me in person giving me plenty of opportunities to remember whatever place I am in is exactly where I am meant to be. So that was a great great moment. The best part was she recognized Rabbi Moscow from the back of his head. I thought that was really impressive. I was sitting facing the door. was opposite me and she walked in from the back of the set and she recognized and why we on our way to a wedding in Schmorgat Marina stopped for a Duncan at Dunkin Don a donut at Dunkin Donuts is a wonder of the world. That is a great question. We landed in in LaGuardia and Avis. We got our car with a little time to spare and we said, "We have time." And there are a lot of other, I'm sure, special places in the area. We could have stopped, but for some reason, because we were meant to meet her, we said, "Let's get a coffee and a don donut at Dunkin Donuts." And I'm glad we don't have one here because we'd all look very different. So, I'm glad we don't have one here. But that's where we were meant to be. And she came in and it was a mug. Great moment. And I went right to the car and gave her the decal for her car and a sticker. And it was a it was a wonderful moment. And I was grateful to find outside my door. Thank you to Dena who dropped these off some rocks. Embrace your place. Embrace your place. If anybody would like, leave them on your desk or someplace in your house. I won't put it on your dashboard, but leave it somewhere else and it will remind you wherever you are to embrace your place. Okay, let's get into our text. What time is it? Yeah. Okay, fine. One more. Oh my gosh, there's so many emails and I want to read them all. I want to read them all. In my journey of because I've been listening to random living with the moon episodes on my morning walks around my mush. The way I feel closest to Hashem and most inspired is through nature. I see him in every beautiful flower or butterfly. This morning I chose a random episode. Getting the theme here? And you were talking about moments of inspiration and fire. Just then a huge eagle flew right over my head and landed on tree next to me. I was in awe and almost moved to tears and I thanked Hashem. Just then you continued to say how we need to take these moments turn them into misa and a cabala. So I decided to take upon myself to bench only from a bencher with kavana. Now 30 seconds later you gave that exact example of a cabala to take on. I was again in saw it as a hug from hashem. Thank you tisku limit mitzvah we spoke about in a moment of take the moment of inspiration. Today's inspiration has to become tomorrow's obligation. Today's inspiration has to become tomorrow's obligation. Otherwise the inspiration is fleeting. It disappears. You have to take that moment of inspiration and now what's the what am I taking upon myself? What am I going to do differently as a result? If you don't dive in every day, dive in a little bit. If you bench out loud while cleaning up, bench from inside a bench or if you don't ever call anyone and check in, take upon yourself. You're going to make one phone call a day or at least on Friday of Shabas, check in on someone who might be alone. Today's inspiration has to become tomorrow's obligation. So that person was listening and we spoke about that. So, he took on an obligation and a moment later that was the obligation that I suggested. Look at that. What a kinky dink. Okay. Uh uh I thought about writing many times to let you know that living with a minister has changed my life. I used to be totally not the type to listen to shroom in the car, but since a friend recommended I've been listening, I do almost every day and frequently say Rabbi Goldberg said, "I'm writing now because yesterday I was running late for work and I had to go back in my house to get my car keys out of the pocketbook I usually use. As I got the keys, I saw the security badge that I only need to go to a certain building at work where I rarely go. I almost left it at home and then thought maybe Asha made me focus on it because my laptop will finally be fixed and I'll need the badge to pick it up. As I got into the car and turned on ways, I saw a text from the IT department that my laptop was ready before listening to your my mindset would have been totally different. I never would have thought about Hashem in that moment. Thanks to Hashem for all my spiritual friends who suggested Yashir and to the continued inspiration for Forgot the keys so he would remember the badge which enabled her to go into the building to pick up the laptop. No coincidences. They're all from Hashem. Last one for today. I wanted to write the SEMA for a long time. I actually had a second amuna moment happen to me in the meantime. So happy that my mother-in-law Deborah recommended your shir. It makes my commute much more enjoyable. Some of them say I fall asleep to your shar. Others say I enjoy your commute. And I hope they never get confused between the two. Amuna moment number one. I went on vacation for a week with my parents and brother and my baby and husband were home. I was set to land in Newark at 4:00 and figured I should be home just in time for bedtime to give my baby a much needed kiss after a week away. It was raining. There were tons of traffic and I kept seeing the ETA go up. At first, I thought maybe my husband could just keep her up for an extra 15 minutes. I could see her hug her before bed. But as the time on Google Maps kept going up, I told him to just put her to bed and I would see her in the morning. I decided to listen to the shear I had missed while on vacation. And what do you know? You're talking about sitting in traffic. I decided that moment I am where I meant to be. Maybe it was for the best. I wouldn't see her until the morning. I didn't want her to get too excited before bed. Maybe she wouldn't have fallen asleep. Amuna moment number two. My husband and I went to ski. There was a huge snowstorm as we're on our way to the airport to go home. So, it was a very scary Uber ride and we ended up getting to the airport too late to check in for our flight. Next flight wasn't for eight hours. My husband was very annoyed about having to stay in the airport for eight hours and take a red eye getting home at 6:00 a.m. But because of the amunes, I was completely calm. Told him a plan for us. There's clearly a reason we missed the flight. In fact, I was smiling at the check-in desk. Luckily, we have plenty of food that I had packed extra just in case because we're Jewish. And spent the eight hours scouring the airport for kosher food, getting overpriced chair massages, and watching movies. Thank you for all that you do. See how you could stay calm and you can smile even in those moments. You never know what's going to happen. Always even when you have to go to Newark airport. Even even right now. That is should be a kapara if you have to go to Newark airport right now. But even even at Newark airport, you can keep a smile on your face, embrace your place, know you are where you're meant to be. A Jew is never stuck unless they're at Newark airport, and then the likelihood is you're going to get stuck. But a Jew is never stuck even there. And uh and what an attitude. What an attitude. Okay, we're back in page, the left hand column. I just want to remember before I forget, Shivus, we have incredible shum and a great theme. Why the Jews? Covering all types of topics connected to that theme. But this Shabas, as we're getting ready for Shabuis, we have our special Nish Kdish and Shir Shabus morning after the nine o'clock minion. There is a kdish cheesecake and iced coffee. Apparently, nay women's kittish and shir cheesecake and iced coffee. And uh designed by women for women. It's possible some of my daughters complain, why can't we have chalent and kishka? Just because it's a women's the shake condition share it has to be cheesecake and ice coffee I had nothing to do with it designed by women for women but anyway after the nine o'clock minion on shabas morning alto together and also alone finding our place at hari that is the topic and hopefully by then we'll have more than just a title okay left hand column page we've been learning and talking about the balance between initiative, effort and faith. If we show too little faith and too much initiative, then we don't have faith in Hashem. Person who works excessively, a person who makes too much effort doesn't have faith in Hashem that he could get it done for you even with less. A person who has too little effort has counterfeit faith. Person who sits back and waits for Hashem to take care of it doesn't have faith at all. They're hiding behind a counterfeit faith. It's all about finding the balance between the two and the area this expresses itself is which we might start a breakoff shar of amuna specifically for those in shidukim talking about it maybe ongoing or maybe just once or twice and the other area is in parnasa in pursuit of the material and the physical. We think we got to kill it and we got to work super hard and we got to work crazy hours. We always got to do more but sometimes we have to stop and recalibrate and ask have I done enough work that Hashem now can provide? created the vessel that he can fill. If he made a promise on rash of what I can earn this year, have I done my part in order to get it or do I need to keep going? It's that balance grandfather. We're living in a time and a generation of incredible prosperity. We're living in a time of tremendous comfort, convenience, and wealth and wealth. That's not to suggest there aren't people struggling. And our heart goes out and our responsibility is to help. But know that the poorest of our generation have a more comfortable and luxurious life and lifestyle than the wealthiest of just a generation or two ago. They also have a smartphone and a dishwasher and a washing machine and a car that is automatic windows. There are that's not to suggest there aren't people struggling and suffering and we need to step in and help. And there aren't people who are literally hungry or worried about how they'll keep the roof over their head. I'm not minimizing it in the least. But at the same time, we should know and acknowledge we're living in the most prosperous moment and time in history. And life is getting more at least physically comfortable and convenient every single day. Every single day. And yet we've spoken about this other context. We're less happy than ever. Where does that come from comes from? Just to go back to last week's topic. When you live thinking that you're a body that has a soul, your body could become have all the creature comforts and prosperity. But as long as you're suppressing and denying and not nourishing and nurturing and not expressing your soul, if you think you're a body that is a soul, you're going to be unhappy. But when you realize I'm a soul that has a body, even if your body doesn't have all the comfort and convenience and joys and pleasures, when your soul is alive and nurtured and expressing itself, you feel the highest highs and the greatest happiness. It's all intertwined. And we're living in a time that has less faith in God. All the polls, America, belief in God is at an all record low. That there's less religion, less belief in God. And there's a tremendous correlary between living in the here and now, living for the physical, living in the pursuit of happiness, living thinking I am a body that has a soul and finding unhappiness versus living I'm a soul that has a body. How do I nurture my soul? How do I speak to my soul? How do I have an ongoing conversation? How do I connect with soul friends and soulmate? How does my soul find expression? What's my soul's purpose and mission in this world? And finding that that happiness. So writes the biggest challenge of our generation that's blinding our eyes and that's contaminating and corrupting our heart is this confusion of what our priorities should be in life. We wake up every day and we want more and better and bigger and superersized and latest and newest. And it's in the pursuit. It's in the consumerism. And this isn't just this isn't in the secular world or the non-Jewish world. This isn't only in the religious world. This is in parts of the most religious world. You go through and I don't want to risk my subscription, but you go through some of the most popular Jewish magazines today. And one page is about you're a soul, not a body. And the next article is about Mustafic Bumat live with less because it's really it's just a conduit for the world to come. And the next page is a piece of the most expensive meat at the most expensive kosher store. And the next page is the most expensive kosher vacation. And then you've got an ad for the most expensive piece of jewelry. And then the next page is you shouldn't care about the physical immaterial. It's an article about how we're really just a soul. And I'm not the first or only to criticize or question the mixed messaging of some of our Jewish publications that have many wonderful articles that are encouraging and inspiring us that you're a soul, not a body. And then the advertisements and marketing are all about you're only anyone if you have a meatboard. If you don't have a meatboard, what is your life even worth? If you don't have an expensive, overpriced, By the way, I challenge there's no one in this room who likes a meatboard like I like a meatboard. I happen to like flesh. I like meat. I like a meatboard. I love jerky. That happens to be among my my uh cravings. I like a good meboard as much as anyone else. But the meatboard's not your life. The meatboard can't be your life and shouldn't be. I'm on from Cape Cod to meports. I've moved on. You haven't heard Cape Cod in a long time. So, I I love a good meatboard, but you know, it's expensive. Can you afford it? How many? Where? When? Why? What? And and what place does it have in your life? What place? We're upping the ante of everything. This is true with simas and it's true with Shabas tables and it's true with the Arab Shabas Le Shishi and Toameha to the Mo Shabas Malava Mala and people could go bankrupt just on so this said the Ayakov. This is the challenge of our generation as you look around and as I said this is not just bayen this is not among the this is not a problem in someone else's world this is a problem in our world in our world I want to clarify there's nothing wrong with enjoying nice things if you have the capacity and you're not going into debt and you can give appropriate amounts of stucka there's nothing wrong with enjoying nice things the Torah says good enjoy Hashem says this is my world it's why I created it if you can afford it still give it stuck, not be corrupted by it. Enjoy it. Nothing wrong with enjoying it. What's wrong is when it compromises and when it blurs and confuses our priorities and our judgment and our identity and who we are and why we're here, our self-worth and what we're all about. And this causes all of us. The worst qualities and character traits in a person come out because we have less God. Our ego has edged God out. And more I want, I need, I have to have. Think about it. The more a person pursues the physical material, the more you've edged God out because of ego. I deserve, I need, I want. So it brings out the worst qualities in a person. Envy and jealousy. Why do they have why is their kdish? Why is their shabas table? Why is that car in their driveway? Why do they have that home? Why did they just come back from that vacation? Why did all of us that last email referenced two vacations recently? We're all human. I heard it and I said, "Wow, two vacations. Two women stories. Love to go on a vacation." We all hear or see and we say, "I want to go on the ski vacation. I want to go away a week without my ch with my children. I want to go. I want to go. All of us have that envy, that envy. So if we have misplaced priorities, if we're in the pursuit of more and better and bigger, if that defines our lives and our lifestyles, then it's going to bring out a sense of envy and jealousy. It's going to bring out an arrogance and it's going to bring out an ego and it's going to bring out an anger and it's going to bring out all the qualities that destroy our physical, mental, emotional health. But if instead of edging God out, you edge him in. If instead you say to yourself, "I have what I meant to have. I have what I need. I'm going to work hard to have more because there's nothing wrong with enjoying it. But I'm never jealous or envy about what someone else has because you know what? What anyone else has can never take away from you. Hashem could put that car in their driveway and the same car in your driveway. They could have their meatboard and you could also have a meatboard. They could have their vacation and you could have your vacation. Hashem doesn't have a quota and if he gives it to someone, there's not enough for you. Hashem has an unlimited supply. So never be envy or jealous of what someone else has because you have what you need and what you deserve. You have what's right for you. They have what's right for them. So bring God in when you start to feel that feeling. Say to yourself, "No, Hashem, I'm going to work hard. I'm going to take initiative. I'm going to do my part because we don't sit back. He wants us to be his partner. But at the same time, I'll never get angry. I'm never going to swell with arrogance. And I'm never going to get envious because it's all you. You know what it robs us of? We're robbed of our sense of serenity, of our peace of mind. Of our peace of mind. Everyone's walking on eggshells. Everyone's walking on edge. Everyone's filled with some level, some baseline level of anxiety. We're all needing to do things to take the edge off. Some people, it's substances, it's behaviors, and it's wrong. God forbid, we have to numb ourselves. And why? Because there's such pressure. There's such pressure to produce, such pressure to bring in, such pressure to make it rain, such pressure to keep up, such pressure to have. But if a person lets go and lets God, I'm using all of our cliches today. If a person lets go and you say, "I'm going to do my part. I'm taking my initiative. I'm doing what I have to. I go to work. I network. I advertise. I market. I apply for the job. I do my part. And after that, you're in charge. Now I can restore and recover my peace of mind. I can go to the counter at the airport and smile even when my flight's delayed for eight hours because that's your plan. That's the way it's supposed to go. So I'm not bent out of shape. I don't lose my cool and I don't lose or compromise my health, my relationships. There's no quiet. There's no peace. This is the idolatry of our time. You know, we read and we read the parts of our that say don't worship idols. You hear the we'll hear on Shabus a couple days from now. I'm the Lord your God. And don't don't go after false gods. And you say, "What does that even mean? I don't have that problem. False gods. Who's bowing down to an idol? Who's worshiping a pagan?" That's not our problem. The answer is it is our problem. We're worshiping at the altar of the bank account. We're worshiping at the altar of materialism and consumerism and things and more and bigger and better and latest. And it's become says Bismu. This is the Aodor of our time. Why? Because we're so impressed and wowed and enamored by the people who have more. They think that the people who have more money and more things, they have more fame or more power and we're bowing and we're worshiping and we're admiring and that's what we want. Torah. And what do we give up in the process? What are we giving up in the process? In the pursuit of more, in the focus of our attention, in the noise in our mind, in the envy and the jealousy, what are we giving up in the process? Our own peace of mind, our own happiness and tranquility and serenity, our own ability to be present, our own joy and satisfaction, our own meaning, our own purpose. And what happens? Our doning is missing out because instead of our doning being a conversation with Hashem, our doning is only all this agenda. Hashem, I need, give me, I want. And now there's just tinus. And Hashem says, "Whoa, c can we just connect a little bit? What's going on? How are you? Don't you want to know how I'm doing? Let's let's connect. Let's spend time. Let's enjoy. And expands on this even more, believe it or not, there about this being the plague of our time. This is the epidemic of our time. Materialism, consumerism, the pursuit of more, bigger, better, more comfort, more convenience. And that's nothing wrong with, I can't reiterate this enough. There's nothing wrong with having and enjoying gave us. He wants us enjoy enjoy. Enjoy. But don't be defined by and don't make that your priority and don't be consumed by and don't measure or compare or contrast against others and don't forfeit your own peace of mind and serenity and happiness in the process. That is not at all what life is about. So we have to find that balance. How can I take a healthy dose of initiative? How can I do what I'm supposed to meant to but not do excessive initiative? not take on too much or too little. So I want to end our learning and then we'll turn off the stream and recording and go to our question and answer for this week. But I want to end by telling you Torah this same idea connected to our para which is the following. Our para we have the count the census bidbar is numbers because it's counting. It's the census of the Jewish people and the tribe of Levy is counted separately but the rest of the Jewish people are counted from what age? 20 and up and Ley is counted from the age of one month old and up. The rash says there was a logistical problem. Moshe turned to Hashem and he said, "How am I supposed to go to everyone's house? How do I go search everyone's house to find out how many children they have? I need to do a sense. I need to take account of the levim." So adults 20 and up, they come before me. They pass before me. But children one month and up, I have to go to the house and look in the crib and see every child one month and up. How am I supposed to do it? How am I supposed to do it? If even the young children were being counted, Moshe needed to go into every single home. And clearly that wasn't practical. There were so many homes. So the med says, "You know what? Hashem answers him and listen carefully. You do yours and I'll do mine. You do you and I'll do me. You do your job and I'll do my job. And this could be a next motto for our living with Amuna. Where's Alana? Figure out a place to put that and what that you do you and I'll do me. You do your job and I'll do my job. Moshe went to every home. He stood outside the door and a basal announced how many children were in that home. And the measure says that's what the Pik means. Alp hashem the census in the count of the levian was ali hashem because he went to every home he didn't have to go inside he was able to pass every home and abas the heavenly voice went out and proclaimed how many children were in that home so the med says this counting was done by god says mayor if a heavenly voice is going to go out and announce how many kids are in the home so I've got a more efficient idea Moshe stay put stay home and god just tell you how many levim there Why do you have to go out and get around? Why do you have to go to every house if after all it's going to be a heavenly voice that comes out and proclaims how many children there are? What's the point? Says, "The measures are teaching us an important lesson about of taking initiative and investing effort." God will respond. God will do his. But first, we have to do ours. You leave your house. You get up. That's why Pes ends. I know it's the ends comes. What do we do? We get up and we open the door. Why do we have to get up and open the door? You're telling me that alo Elijah the prophet can visit every Jewish home simultaneously, but he can't come through the chimney? He can't climb through the window. He can't go through the wall. He can visit every home, every Jewish home on the planet at the same time. But we have to open the door because otherwise he can't get in. Does that make sense to you? So I once heard no you know why we get up and open the door not for Leoi. What is Elvi coming to do? He's coming to announce and herald the gula. He's coming to announce there's redemption. Good things are happening. Good things are coming. There is a future. There's a brighter light at the end of this tunnel. So if you want that to happen, you know what you need to do? Stop reclining. Stop sitting back on your pillow. Get up. Get off your tasus and go open the door. If you want redemption, be his partner. You do yours. Don't put that in a bumper sticker. I'm gonna get a I'm going to hear about it later that I said, "Get up and open the door. Get up and open the door. You have to partner. You have to do your part. No one's knocking on your door to hand you a brown paper bag of cash. Get up and go to work." The biggest school for Parnasa, The biggest forasa is having a job. It's the biggest school for it's bigger than it's bigger than bigger than also it's okay as long as it's directed to and but the biggest for is having a job and the biggest for any outcome that you want is making an effort and taking an initiative and you know what Hashem says you do your part I'll do my part you do you I'll do me you do your job I'll do my job Now, some people they try to do their job and God's job. Sometimes you have to remind people, God knows what he's doing. He doesn't need your help. Stop interfering. He doesn't need your help. Get out of his way. Where is the boundary between your job and his job? And in particular, that's a big question in every area of life. Where is the border between your job? You do your job, I'll do my job. Where's the border between them? Some people, they violate the border. They try to do God's job, too, and God says, "Relax. Get out of my way. Don't interfere. I don't need your help." Some people try to get God to do their job, too. They don't even want to do their job. So, they try to violate the border in the other direction. God, come do my job, too. I don't want to do even my job. The answer to live a life of amuna is we do ours and he does his. We do our job and he does his job. And that says, is why Moshe, you've got to walk around. You've got to do your part and then Abas will come out and help you get it done. But you've got to do your part as the Mishnav says that you're not obligated to complete the work. You don't have to do everything but you can't do nothing. You've got to get you've got to get it started. You've got to get it started. The med tells us that when Bissa the daughter of parro bisha bas parro saw the basket floating with a baby in it and she heard the cries she stretched out her arm. The med tells us she was at such a distance that naturally her arm was at a length she couldn't grab that basket. But what happened? She her arm elongated miraculously and she was able to reach even that which was out of her grasp. Why? In what merit? If you think about it, it made no sense. Why did she stretch out her arm? Why'd she even try? The basket was floating far away. The answer is we do our part and God will do his. We do our work and he'll do his work. And that's the initiative that we have to take in every area of life. We do our work and he does and he does his work. Where that border is, that's what we each have to figure out. Don't ask him to do your job. We've got to do our job. And don't try to do his job. Let him do his job. He's God. He'll do it better than you ever could. Get out of his way and let him do his work. And some people try to do their job and his job. They try to force a They try to push something through. They try to make something happen. They try to over micromanage. What What are you trying to do? His job tell us that all God's been doing since creation is you think you're a better sh than him. He is the greatest shan. the greatest shakan, the only shad, the true shad. So do your part. You got to go meet with the you got to do something. You got to put name out there and then get out of his way and let him do it. In every area of life, we take our initiative and then we get out of his way. Don't cop out. Don't ask him to do your job and don't try to do his job. That's the motto. How to live life. You do yours and he'll do his. And please God, we'll see with Yeshua. Any questions for