Not Going Anywhere - Talk to Yeshiva and Seminary students in Israel

there when you are to give you while you are sitting there and you are insisting on remaining and you are part of the destiny of the Jewish people in the Homeland we dve for for so many years unafraid and not running away and not going anywhere else without any Judgment of those who've had to made other decisions and we'll speak about that everyone needs to make the decisions that are right for them but the fact that you've reached the conclusion you're there you're learning you're growing you're volunteering you're doing is absolutely extraordinary I we couldn't be more proud couldn't be more humbled to know you and to to be close to you and to be watching you and to have this opportunity to speak to you so the first thing I want to say is really exactly that this week's told us no noad and all the commentators jump up and they wonder why the redundancy why the repetitiveness a told us Noah Noah really two questions begin the para one you introduce it a told us no you're about to give the lineage you're about to give the progeny you're about to list The Offspring The Children the grandchildren the great grandchildren and then you disappeared where'd you go he said let me tell you my no let me tell you the toos and then you didn't continue by listing the toos by listing The Offspring instead you say Noah's name again you just repeat his name Aya told us Noah Noah how does that make any sense and I've seen others say and I want to frame it in a particular way and this is an important message to you and to all of us regularly and to you in these extraordinary times we are very focused in yides kite on our continuity on the legacy on the toos that we create ofos means toos toos toos means ofos there's a continuity there's intergenerational there is a transmission of our values there's a transmission of our beliefs there's a transmission of our Torah kadosha of Cl and to have toos to have offspring that is a fundamental value you know there's a a major crisis people are not speaking about even before this war in America and elsewhere which is a birth rate crisis in America the birth rate is at a low for a very very long time and the population is actually shrinking as a result and that's a danger that's a threat because we live in a world and in a society which is focused on themselves and many are not interested in having children and not having the number of children and not everybody has a choice there are those who are single who want to be married those who are married who are desperate for children we give them all a br they should realize their dreams they should populate that everybody should have their their dreams come true but there are people are choosing not to some it's the right decision for them but others it's not coming from a right or righteous place and that's a crisis that is facing several countries we don't believe in that a told us we believe in continuity we don't live for the here and now we don't live for ourselves we live for the Reon to be of service him in his world to repair it to redeem it and to transmit it to our toos and that's how many people measure their lives they look at their children their grandchildren their great-grandchildren your parents and your grandparents are looking at you they are proud of you they're thinking of you they might be worried about you you they might be tremendously worried about you they might be stressing you out by how much they're worried about you but they love you and they're proud of you because you are their toldos we think that our progeny our Offspring our children those are our toos comes the Torah and Begins the par by telling us you know what your first Offspring is you know who your number one progeny is you know what your number one continuity what you will give birth to in your life is a told us Noah Noah your future self your biggest Legacy is you your brand your reputation your image your life the influence the impact the difference that you made the decisions that you made your behaviors how you lived your life don't overlook yourself and jump right to creating future Generations But realize AA told us Noah Noah the very first TOA the very first Offspring that you will create is yourself is your future self those who live in boao our ordinary shabash Russ this year was no different it was long too long According to some but we explored the topic of your future self how yish is all about looking at your future self and living in the present with an eye towards that future it means what do we eat do we exercise do we sit still it means living a present life that is an investment in our future physical health and wellness life it means spiritually making choices right now which will create a future for ourselves in Ras in in in spirituality and for those who are around us it means emotionally and Health living in a present in a way that we are invested to have a better and Healthy Future Self that's how this par is beginning told us no and then the par is not in fact deviating we didn't abandon listing to toos the very first too that we list that we list is no himself why am I sharing this with you because young men and young women and whatever parents are allowed to ease drop into this private conversation I'm having with them listen to me a told us Noah Noah what you're doing today for your future selves what you're doing to today for the future of claw Israel the investment that you are making in the rest of your lives in what you will remember and cherish and hold on to Forever you are living for your future self you're living in a present and a way your future your future will be forever proud will be forever remember will forever hold on to will forever feel that you are molded and you were shaped by the decision that you're making right now it's not easy and I don't begin to know what it's like because I'm not there but whether it's Sirens that are forcing you to run to shelters whether it's a program whether your seminar or your Shiva year has been interrupted and disrupted you're not running out to restaurants on your own or by parents who are taking you out spending shabus exploring the country where you want to go tiim which you were so looking forward to as part of your experience being on lockdown there are sacrifices there's a mysterious nefes yes it pales in comparison to the soldiers in the front line but everything pales in comparison to them but you're also on a front line you are right behind them you are in the country and you're living and you are part of the story and the future of the Jewish people and that is a tolda you are giving birth to part of your legacy that when you will beat people and you will talk about that the war of 2023 T that the war of T you will forever remember where you were you will forever remember that you stayed you will forever remember the difference that you were making just by being there and that is a TOA that is an offspring that you are giving birth to that is part of your life that is part of your life now while as proud as you are and as proud as we are of you and as part as you're leaning in to this experience which is so enriched and is so empowered yes there are negatives yes it's curtailed yes you has to compromise and sacrifice you have to be mostern neish parts of what you were looking forward to this year but there are other parts whether it's working on situs that will be distributed to soldiers that will protect them that will help give boost their morale whether it's Distributing food whether some of you have taken families from the south who are living living in your Seminary or yes Shiva or next to it and you're helping out and you're pitching in and you're doing it's shaping who you are it's enriching your life lean into it embrace it be proud of it it's okay to be nervous it's okay to be worried it's okay to be anxious if you weren't then you might be living recklessly those are healthy emotions to feel because the person who never feels nervous doesn't know where the boundaries of Life are doesn't know where the edge is and you live recklessly and right now you need to live responsibly you need to follow what your yeshivas and seminaries are telling you you need to follow what the Army and the police and what Israel is saying how to live and take the hhas the initiative to live as safely as you can that's your job and being a little bit anxious a little bit on edge a little bit concerned is what motivates us and protects us and creates the boundaries around living recklessly don't live recklessly follow the rules take that not only for yourselves and what you're being your well-being it's what you could do for your parents and your grandparents who are worried about you give them the peace of mind to know that you're following the instructions and the rules that you're doing what you need to do that you're taking all the precautions that you can but don't feel guilty or ashamed if you're a little bit anxious a little bit on edge that doesn't represent a a a conflict or a contradiction to your and is to realize I'm where I'm meant to be I'm where I need to be ultimately is the one who decides wherever we are what we'll be once we do our effort our reasonable we let go and we let God and the rest is up to him and the rest is up to him so we couldn't be more proud of you what you're doing is extraordinary where you are the difference that you're making you are giving birth to your future self a told us Noah you are cementing a part of your legacy a part of your life that you will never forget that your family and cl will forever be proud of that means the world and the difference to those who live there I have two siblings they both live in erit Israel my parents my in-laws are both there right now we all have a lot of family I'm in touch with a lot of Israelis and a lot of oim and they talk about that the students who've chosen to stay the CH students who understand that this is our homeland this is where we belong this is part of our destiny this is our Collective Story the students who are demonstrating not just saying with words but demonstrating that Israel is not someplace that you go on your summer camp Israel is not just where you run to for suus Israel is not where you go for a Barat mitzah trip Israel is not where you go to tour when all is well and safe but Israel is when you're there where you remain because it's where we're meant to be and it's boosting the morale of the millions of those who've moved their life there who were born there who that is their permanent home it is boosting their morale so even if you think what difference am I making I'm sitting in my Bas M I'm sitting in my Seminary I'm sitting in my library I'm sitting in my dorm room am I really making a difference by being here can I just be sitting in Boker or the five towns or Teck or Chicago Detroit or LA or South Africa or England or wherever you're from am I really making a difference the answer is yes you're not letting the terrorists terrorize you and running away from them you're boosting the morale of a country who says that their presence your being here means the world to us and most of all you're cementing a told us Noah you're cementing your Noah your future does that mean that we're entitled to judge or be resentful or be angry at those who've made different decisions absolutely not you know there's a famous debate about Noah everybody knows the Rashi that quotes kazal some who talk about Noah in a praiseworthy way and some who talk about Noah and they are critical of Noah you know Noah not just the neutral power of character everybody's got an opinion about Noah everybody lines up on Noah I don't know when your Yesa or your Seminary different teachers are probably coming some are on the pro- Noah team some are on the anti- Noah team poor Noah is probably the most bold personality of tanak who everyone feels they have to hold a vote on him everybody holds like an Olympic judge they hold up a number you know how did Noah land a Dismount not everybody else do we feel that we need to judge and yet Noah we do yes is it that Noah was amazing and would be in any generation or Noah was he was okay he was pretty good but if he would have lived with with mosu if he would have lived at a time with rightous people around him ah he wouldn't have been much it's an interesting question why we do this game with Noah and no one else spoke about it in the par this week not for now but I want to tell you an incredible Insight I saw you'll notice when Rashi quotes this Rashi says Rashi says that you know who's worthy of being called rabu even though people line up on both sides you know who are our you know who are our teachers you know who are our moras you know who are our role models the ones who are look carefully and those who are they're not you want to look at Noah and say is he good yeah he's pretty good but I have to tell you if he lived in another generation he'd be nothing special such a person the cynic the skeptic the one who's looking to be critical they're notu may we praise we look up we give the benefit of the doubt we see the good in people if they're D they're not and I think that's a very important lesson for us as well right now everyone needed to make the decision that's right for them and I know there are people there are people on this call there are people I'm very close with who maybe all their roommates left maybe the left maybe their dra maybe and it has an impact it has a big impact it's not easy and it can make us have all kinds of reactions and all kinds of emotions they're understandable we have to work them through but don't expend and waste energy on judging on being angry on being resentful people made the decisions that are right for them and maybe if they weren't they're going to reverse it maybe they'll come back or maybe they have to live with it but it's none of our business it's not for us we are where we're meant to be and we have to look at what we have and our world we're in now our circumstance and we have to live our best selves so we have to make new friends or we have to choose new classes we have to find a newa or we have to find a way to hang out in another draa another room with other roommates we make the best of what we have but we're D we look for the good we look to praise and we don't know we're not in other people's shoes We're not living their lives we don't know where they're at and we should not sit in judgment that is wasted energy it's counterproductive energy and it is sabotaging Theus that we feel right now clly there are walls there are walls that people thought were impenetrable there are walls that people thought were permanent there are walls that people thought were concrete and cement and they've come crumbling down between claw Israel segments of claw Israel people on the left and right politically and religious and secular and and Lish and all these walls ashm and they've come crumbling da you don't need me to take the time you're living it I'm watching it but you don't need me to elaborate you've seen and you're living those stories of incredible our job is to increase it our job is to contribute to it and our job is to bottle it and cement it and make sure it lasts forever because please God beov soon this will be over there'll be a sweeping success there'll be a incredible victory for Israel will restore Safety and Security our incredible precious courageous amazing soldiers for whom we're doing and pushing and cheering and loving and supporting they're going to be successful and this will be over and what will we go back to what will the relationships be like after if we're filled with anger and resentment and criticism andar now about people have made different decisions than us then what will be those relationships after what impact and damage are we doing to the AK right now that we so badly and desperately need so don't waste energy and don't waste time there there might be a reasonable feeling you felt that you felt it for a little bit feel it for a little bit allow yourself to feel it for a little bit and then move on you know I forgot who coined it they call it the five minute rule the five for five rule if it won't matter in five years then don't spend more than five minutes on it if it won't matter in more than five years then don't spend more than five minutes on it so five minutes be annoyed at your roommate your Kusa five minutes be frustrated by the circumstance or the change of the program five minutes be frustrated and then to be a rebi our teachers teach us we look for the praise we look for the positive we're not looking to sit in judgment you don't know the person who left or their parents or their family you don't know their anxiety level you don't know their mental health history you don't know what trauma has existed in them or their families in the past that you don't have to confront or live with we don't know we have to trust and we have to believe and we have to make space for people to make different decisions and what's right for them and if it's frustrating be frustrated for five minutes and move on be among the are never be you see that elsewhere in our because after the uh Hashem comes down to examine the universe hasem comes down to check it out what's going on who are these people why are they competing with him why are they building a tower up to the heavens who are they why is he coming down here why do we describe Hashem as Hashem came down to check it outad says in the story of migd a group of people were trying to find HM they built this Tower to penetrate into the heavens into the Sham and hm's answer was to come down to teach us that our mission is to bring him down to earth that's one part of the lesson we're not trying to be aesthetic we're not trying to be better than we're not trying to be removed from this world we're trying to give we're not trying to live such holy righteous lives that we are apart from this world we live in this world we make a br on the food and we get married and enjoy uh intimacy and we don't take vows of of Silence we speak and we communicate and we connect with other people we are part of this world and we Elevate this world our mission is not to go up there our mission is to give a should dwell down here where through each and every one of us each and one every one of us Heavens belong to the Earth he gave to us and we're supposed to turn the earth into a sh is to turn it into Shay here on Earth you're doing that you're doing that by staying in and being part of the story of the of the of Hashem by being part of the destiny of Cl Isel you're turning the into you're giving an extension I don't remember if it's but one of them I believe say the heavens are hashem's the Earth he gave to man except for is that's part that's still hashem's that's sh that's sh on the that's why you could have if you grow something in a garden in bone I did for about five minutes during Corona which my kids predictably uh correctly predicted I only did so that I could give a drush about it that's how long it lasted my garden but if if you ever had a garden if you ever had a garden and you grew something there's no you don't separate Trum you don't make a br you know why you know what the dirt in Baton is it's dirt it's soil it's Earth it's nothing but in as you know well there's no dirt it's holy soil it's holy Earth it's a piece of Shay here on the that's where you are that's where you're staying that's where you're living that's the air that you're breathing you know a friend of mine gave me an idea and we started at this past shabas he said especially in times of Crisis like this he tries to only on shabas drink wine from erit Israel wine from Israel not only because it's supporting The Vineyards of Israel and it's a taste a connection to Israel he said when he uncorks the bottle the first thing he does is breathe in the air because the air in that bottle that came from Israel is air from Isel it's the A and when you drink that wine you're drinking from The Grapes that grew in The Vineyards of er Israel because even on the that's where you are that's the air that you're breathing so you say I'm in my dormatory I'm in my B I'm in our library what difference am I making by being here I'm not putting on a uniform I'm not in the front lines you're there you're in the shamay on the earth you're making a difference but why do they come down so they made that mistake they tried to climb up they should have stayed down here the goal is to give and there's no place to give as great as that is the even here on the but there's another insight not only here m is not the only time that hasem says that he goes down to see he goes down to see goes down to he goes down to are they irredeemable are they not irredeemable is right is there a reason to save them he comes down to see was teaching us a precedent you can't go judge a situation unless you're in it you can't know unless you see it is omnipotent infinite he sees everything is everything of course he's got cameras and he's got microphones everywhere why does he have to come down to see not because he needs to says the medes of course doesn't need to come down in order to see so why does he because it's a precedent for us he wants us to know that you can't judge a situation until you see it until you're in it until you have fir hand knowledge of it firsthand knowledge of it RAB elaborates and he says Hashem lives above all creation he's in he's infinite and he's perfect and he's omnipotent he's Immortal he doesn't make any mistakes so he had to come down to a world Ved he came down to a place where he'd see that their people are imperfect he would understand the struggles that we have to live in our world he lives up there with the malim they're pre-programmed to do everything right and get it right from the start so he came down here to Earth to be among mere mortals who struggle and who have to navigate and have to figure things out and one of the obstacles that we have sometimes when we judge people is we say you'd never catch me doing that no one in my family or my community ever would I simply don't understand how could they do that but we're wrong if a who demonstrated that he came down and went into people's situation that he saw it from their perspective before he would come to a conclusion then we who need to know unless you're in someone's circumstance unless you know all the variables in their life don't judge so don't waste time on your friends who've left on those who've made different decisions than you don't judge it's just an unhealthy self-destructive energy don't judge don't judge someone until you reach their place so when do you get to judge them when you get to their place El what do we know you could never be in their place none of us have the same DNA we're not the same we don't have the same DNA we don't look the same we don't live the same we don't come from the same backgrounds we don't have the same personalities we don't have the same assets and the same liabilities and the same strengths and the same weaknesses we're all different we can never be in someone else's place we can never walk in their shoes which means we can never judge them if you can't judge someone till you're in their place and you can never be in their place never sit in judgment it doesn't help notes that it's not a coincidence that before that we say over and over in the we just said we say why do we invoke because we're about to sayem be kind be compassionate judge us favorably how do we invoke him how do we Inspire him to do that come down look from our perspective live from our angle see it from where we are and then maybe you'll judge us a little bit more favorably so judge favorably because to be a rebi is to see the good is to assume the good is to assume the best is to not dwell on criticism or on negative judgment that's a reality rash is quoting there are those who will see comparisons there'll be those who are filled with criticisms they'll always be those who are D but we're not D we're we see the good we live the good we believe in the good that's our mission so be proud of your decision no a told us no no know what you're doing for your future self you're cementing a piece of your legacy you're cementing a part of what you will leave in this world your no told us no no your future self your legacy your reputation your brand because of the choice that you've made be proud of it lean into it understand that the difference you're making with it understand you're in the place that is the you're giving that your presence is boosting morale and making a difference it is is enormous it is enormous but there's something else that you're doing while you're there there's something else that you're doing and soon will wind down and end I know we're running out of time and that is the following the BK says when it comes to Noah it tells Noah that it's time to enter the to build AAR what's a rash quotes two opinions is a soar a stone that refracts light is a a window it could be if you're if no is aad an objective sadic in any generation then he's entitled to look out the window and see the others suffer if Noah is only a sadic for his generation just like Lot's wife Lo couldn't turn around and see the other suffer so to no can't look out a window so it doesn't mean a window it means a stone so some say that the two opinions in the Rashi what is it so is it a stone or a window is is an objective or a relative sad but what does it mean said the holy B you know what means so means what's AAA means the words letters so yes s means arc when the world is stormy when it's dangerous when it's flooded with threats all around us you have to climb into the Tava you climb into the ark buta also means a word it means the T of Torah the words of Torah the words of the words of so make a window the most way to have a direct line to Hashem to appeal to the Reon that window that bright light that we bring that we create in this world is in the T the Tas of Torah the T of that's what you're doing that's your mission that's where you're meant to be right now open a add on connect to Torah learn the Torah that's going to inspire you to what's going on around you and enter into that said following that same teaching no's told you and your whole home your whole family all CL is right now we have to go into the Tava right now go into the Tava enter the Tava enter the Tava of Torah right now go in increasing our ding increasing our learning increasing the Tava of Torah that's where we belong that's our mission that's what we're meant to do that's what we're meant to do and then to take this experience and to light up the world because theas he says when the flood is done Noah is told it's time to leave the T he had AO to enter the T and he has AO to exit the T now when Noah is told I'm about to flood the world and destroy it and do a hard reset on it I understand no was M didn't until it rained he didn't walk in Hashem told him it's time to come why does he have to be told to leave the Tava who wouldn't want to reenter Society rebuild Society who would want to get off of that boat with all those animals all that food all that excrement who wouldn't want to get out of there why does it have to be told sea leave the Tava soas of says it's something Beyond exiting the Tava Noah is a righteous person a righteous personality his one fault was his failure to inspire others he took care of himself he looked and leaned into himself he cared about his survival his future maybe because of said he didn't believe in his capacity to make a difference he thought if he would preach to his generation who would listen who would follow who would be transformed when Rashi says mik he was M it doesn't mean inem it means he didn't sufficiently believe in himself he didn't believe in his ability to impact this world he didn't believe he could make a difference he didn't believe that he mattered that he was consequential and because of that he retreated and he took care of only of himself and took care of his survival so much so that the haor of this week they're called May Noah the calls them the Waters of Noah because Noah took care of himself he didn't take care of others he didn't believe in his ability to take care of others so he retreated he lived his life long before he went into the Tava and even after he exited the Tava he continued to live in a tava he lived secluded he lived isolated he lived in in withdrawing from the world around him he lived worrying only about himself sayn when Hashem told Noah same what he was telling him was leave your Ivory Tower leave your comfort zone leave the world that's about you and your happiness and your needs and what you want same Ina there's a world it needs to be rebuilt now go Build It Go Build It Go restore it go put it together go lift go Elevate go construct go build go build and that is what I want to leave you with that right now you're in the T the T of Torah the T of in Yesa you're in seminary you're in a place in a stage of Life the place even here on and right now your job is to learn right now your job is to DAV right now you're leaning in in that special place but also simultaneously and especially after you leave we have to care about one another we have to be involved and invested in one another we have to be lifting one another there are opportunities outside your Yeshiva and Seminary I'm sure to volunteer to give out food to help give out tizas to help the punch the holes in the tias and die the tias a lot of TI stuff going on from what I understand there are a lot of opportunities to volunteer to do to work on things but you know what else there is there's somebody in your Yeshiva or seminary that's feeling isolated alone that's more worried than others that's homesick that's concerned same Ina leave your Ivory Tower of you're all good and notice and see and care and stay up talking at night and sit down and have lunch with or find a in that Bas medish lift the spirits of somebody that you're really proud of it's maybe way out of your comfort zone text their parents and say I just want you to know my friend your son or daughter they're doing amazing they're inspiring all of us they're fantastic leave your comfort zone and text say don't only worry about you the that's where you belong that's what you need to be doing but also our message here is text people you know in Israel don't underestimate the impact and the value of texting and writing and calling but my message to you there is also text people here let them know you're okay and let them know how proud they should be and let them know that your parents who are part of this this war by allowing you to be there they're also doing their part and for some of them I can tell you firsthand we had a meeting the other night of parents of students who are in Israel we have a WhatsApp group and we' created a community of those who have their children in Israel for some it's very difficult and very challenging and they're navigating it for themselves and you know what a message would mean not only from their own child but their child's friend about what it means and the impact and the difference you're making by being there same in don't just stay in the T leave the Tava make a difference and therefore I'll start in the way I began I couldn't be more proud not only of the one watching this who I'm related to very closely who I'm not supposed to mention and her friends and not only the children of our community who I'm also related to all of boeh are my children and my family we couldn't be more proud of all of you we love you we're proud of you we're thinking about you and CLA Isel and our soldiers every second every second know you're in the place of shamay know know you're making a difference no a told us no Noah you're cementing your legacy your future self be very careful be very careful Al don't judge others don't be critical of others if you're you're not only be praise only see the good only assume you can't understand why others made their own decisions don't waste or spend time energy on it give people the space to come to the conclusion that was right for them live in this Tava where you belong right now and collectively all of will when we leave Thea that's comfortable and we're willing to rebuild the world around us will rebuild a world that will be redeemed you should be safe and secure andem I can't wait to see you all there very very shortly thank you I'm honored by this opportunity and thank you for including [Music] me