Parsha Perspectives (Behaalosecha, 5784) - With God's Help

Okay, good morning, Boca Tova. We should have a sort of Torah. Please God, let today bring good news, good tidings. Our hostages should come home. Our soldiers should return to their families with a sweeping, sweeping victory. We have the privilege this morning to learn, to study, to prepare for Parshas Behaaloscha together, page 774 in the ArtScroll Stone Chumash. I want to thank, as always, our incredibly generous series sponsors, Becky and Avi Katz and family, in memory of Becky's father, David ben Menachem Mendel David Grossman Grossman. This morning, Shiur is also sponsored by Carol in commemoration of her mother's Yahrtzeit, Leah bas Betzalel, Leah bas Avraham and Leah, and by the Ashman family in honor of the Yahrtzeit of Leah bas Macha, her neshama should have an aliyah as well. Please note, if you're not in our Parsha Perspective WhatsApp group, you want to. First of all, we we put there the write-up of the Parsha Perspective, but we also have the schedule. The summer's going to be on and off. There's no Shiur next week, then there will be for the following 2 weeks, then we're taking a little bit of a break. So, if you want to follow the schedule and know when we're on and when we'll post previous year's Shiurim, then you want to be part of our Parsha Perspective WhatsApp group. Page 774. Yeah, Yeru Shiur Sani Rosh Hashem spoke to Moshe. And he said, "Tell Aaron the following, when you light the lamps, when you light the menorah, toward the face of the menorah, you face seven lamps cast light." Yairu Shivas Haneros. What's going on at the beginning of our Parsha? How does this contrast to juxtapose to the end of last week's Parsha? There's always a continuity and a contrast. The sequence of Parshios is never random. It's always by design. And not only does the text itself communicate, but the placement of the text and where things are in the text itself communicates as well. So, Rashi tells us famously, "Lama nismacha Parshas Hamenorah Parshas Hanasi'im? Lefikach she'eira Aaron Chanukas Hanasi'im kol she'da'ito." The end of last week we read 12 times in a row each of the prince of the tribes the special sacrifice they brought on the inauguration of the Mishkan and it was unbelievably repentant repetitive unbelievably redundant not so is the longest parsha in the Torah but it doesn't have to be. You can cut out an enormous amount you divide it maybe not in half but almost by simply putting the carbon the sacrifice of the of the prince once and then say and the 11 others brought exactly this. Why do we repeat? Why do we say it over and over and over and over again? I saw someone wrote so apparently and so accurately. A person has a privilege at the Seder table to have grandchildren present. The grandchildren sing Mana Shtarner. You don't only have the youngest or the oldest of the grandchildren depending on the home. You don't only have one grandchild sing Mana Shtarner and then you go around the rest and you say Barrel and Sarah and Ruva dido. You agree the same minute Mana Shtarner right? You say I want every one of you to sing Mana Shtarner and Mana Shtarner never grows old and Mana Shtarner is never grating. Doesn't matter how many times you hear it because each child brings their uniqueness their distinctness. Each child brings their personality to the way they sing and the same is true with the carbon and the same is true for us in our lives. This is all relevant to last week's parsha but we do the same mitzvah on the outside. We dive in the same words from the same sitter as all the other people surrounding us in the shul. But it's so different. Who are we? What's going on in our lives? What's the mindfulness? What's the consciousness? What's the personality? What's the panimius that we bring to it? On the outside we all shake the same little of an esrog. We sit in the same sukkah. We all ate the same cheesecake on Shavuot. Nebuch. Still paying for it. Still carrying it around. It looks like the same thing on the outside but what we bring to it is so different. But anyway Aaron sees these carbonus and the sim Rashi, back to our parsha, he says, one second, what's going on? It's not fair to me. What about me? Why only the princes of the tribes? Because I'm a coin and coin is not counted among the tribes for this purpose. I don't get to participate? Hashem says, Aaron, relax. Relax. I'm going to let you go to work. Relax. Show you the Michelle you will you get to do is much greater. What you get to do is in perpetuity. What you get to do is everlasting. The Ramban says, what does it mean it's in perpetuity? Your offspring, your progeny will continue to light the candelabra even even when there is no base on migdash. When? With the holiday the miracle of Hanukkah. When we came back and rededicated and reinaugurated. And Hanukkah Hanukkah too. Which is a peculiar comment that the Torah is making a reference or allusion to Hanukkah. We've spoken about this all this all this in the past. And I'm not going to get into it because we've spoken about it in the past other than to ask you. What do you say to a child when a child says it's not fair to me? What do you say? You get what you get and you don't get upset. You get what you get and you don't get upset. Everyone gets what they need, what they deserve. Very little tolerance for the child who says it's not fair to me. And yet Hashem doesn't say to Aaron you get what you get and you don't get upset. He rewards Aaron. Aaron complains. Aaron is frustrated. Aaron says not fair to me. And what does Hashem say? Good point. You know what? You get to light the menorah. Why did Hashem react differently to Aaron than we all react to children or grandchildren or children in a classroom when they offer the same complaint. I'll leave that with you as a question. But, I want to start with a comment. I don't remember if I said this last year. Even if I did it bears repeating. The Amora Stahler Mishkan Rebbe Rashi says on the words of Aaron the means like an Aliyah. An Aliyah to the Torah. Why is it called an Aliyah? Cuz the Torah is read from a platform and you go up to receive your Aliyah. If a person moves to Israel, we just celebrated on Shavuos, we honored and we marked and we celebrated and we admired and we were envious. Please God we'll all join soon those who are making Aliyah. Why is it called Aliyah? You go up to Israel. Israel is the highest It's highest physically. Spiritually, but the highest land. Yerushalayim is the highest city, the Beis Hamikdash the highest mountain. You go up. Aliyah. So, Behaloscha means to go up. Says Rashi, what is a Behaloscha? She'itzarech lehadlik ad she'tehei shalahavet olah me'eileha. You have to hold the candle the flame to the wick until the wick rises on its own. Ad she'tehei shalahavet, till the wick catches fire and now rises it flickers on its own. Which is really a mission statement of education. It's a mission statement of parenting. That we are not supposed to remain helicopter or bulldozer parents. We don't remain in perpetuity in our children's lives, but we hold our candle to theirs, we light them. We light that fire. Ad she'tehei shalahavet olah me'eileha, until it rises on its own, until it shines bright on its own, until it can have some independence. But says the Rav Moshe Shmuel Shapiro, She'eish berachot she'omeret ha'am ha'aretz lema'alot limud Torah lifnei tefillah. There's an allusion a hint here to the idea of learning before davening. We just celebrated the one year anniversary of our Kollel Boker. Every morning at Boker Zone synagogue, we have men who rise early, 6:15 in the morning our Beis Medrash is packed. Baruch Hashem. 6:15 in the morning, you got to wake up in the fives to be here at 6:15 in the morning. The one year anniversary of doing it day in and day out and learning. And then people have chavrusas, some learn on their own, some small groups. And there's enormous value. On our WhatsApp group people were sharing how it transformed transformed their learning their day to start out the day and know that you studied Torah to learn before you davin means you're awake and had a cup of coffee and grounded and centered yourself through Torah before you davin changes the entire day and you see it from this possuk. When you learn before davening and you hold the fire to the wick the wick can catch and then it rises on its own. Your davening rises. Kiner mitzvah of the Torah or Torah is light. I dish a luma Torah show or the fair mitzvah show at fila as yara la la nera show mitzvah of the shasha fila. Wherever you are come to our kollel bunker but even if you don't rise early learn early. Reb told us when we met him and other tzadikim as well there's a special notion of learning in the very early hours of the morning. You know why? The world has not yet become contaminated and polluted by people images ideas distortions biases lies. The rest of the world is sleeping and when you wake up early if you ever have and you hear the birds chirping and it's the dawn and maybe the sunrise it's quiet. The world is not yet active and engaged and contaminated and polluted and it's a holy and a pristine time to study to learn Torah spiritually the environment is clean and you can achieve more in that clean environment. Kiner mitzvah of the Torah or so the halacha nera shatama nera mitzvah at fila when you stand up to elevate the nera mitzvah the candle of the mitzvah of davening you have to light yourself on fire as you take shall have us a shot fila when you davin when you learn before you dive in, your diving will be enormously and radically transformed. It will be different. So, this was the instruction to Aaron. Aaron restarts with it's not fair to me. It's told you like the menorah, you like the menorah. And what does Aaron do? What would you expect Aaron to do? He does the right thing. The Torah goes out of its way to tell us Aaron did Aaron did indeed as he was instructed, as he was told to do as God commanded Mosha. Aaron did what he was meant to do. As if you would think otherwise. So, we've seen many interpretations about this, but they're always more. Aaron did what he was meant to do. Says Rashi, Aaron Aaron did wow, we have tremendous praise, tremendous praise for Aaron. And what's the source of our praise for Aaron? He didn't change, he didn't deviate, he followed the instructions to a T. He did what he was meant to do. That's praise? That's such a source of praise? Would you expect Aaron to have done differently? Aaron would have distorted? Aaron would have made a difference? So, says Good boy, Aaron. Good boy, you followed orders. You were supposed to light the menorah and good boy, you lit the menorah. It's so What's the word? Infantile? Is that what's the word? Degrading. Aaron we're treating him like a child? Aaron did the right thing and that's the praise we have of him? one of the tacos on mitzvah. So I'm joking what it means is originally why did Aaron do it? What motivated and informed and inspired Aaron's compliance? Because Hashem said so. When Hashem says jump, Aaron says how high? He did it because God said so. But then Aaron delved into the depthness into the panemius. Aaron looked into and he learned and he studied what's the menorah all about? What is the flame all about? Why am I lighting it? And then he came to light it again. And this time why did he light it? Because he understood it. Because he was motivated and driven and inspired by it? No. He still lit it for the original same reason, namely because God said so. He was still driven and motivated by God's command. When we're obedient and compliant, when we follow orders because we understand, because it's meaningful, because it's inspirational, what risk do we run? What happens when the inspiration runs out? What happens when it's not fun and exciting? What happens when we have no enthusiasm? What happens when we'd rather stay in bed and not go to the call of Boca? What happens? So therefore the reason we do mitzvahs has to always remain because God said so. Now that we're doing it, it's more wonderful, it's enriched when we understand it. When we learn about it, when we're excited about it. But ultimately the reason we do it has to be because Hashem said so and Aaron never deviated or changed. Never deviated or changed. And you see this in the Shabbos. The tells us when class when the Jewish people at Mount Sinai when God said will you observe Torah and we said yes and we said yes. So the angels descended and they put and they put crowns on our head. How many crowns? 600,000 angels descended and they put two crowns on the head of every Jew. One for na'aseh, we will do, and one for nishma, we will listen. And the question is asked by many, the Maharsha, R' Shmuel Eidels asked this question, how many crowns? What was impressive about saying na'aseh and nishma? We will do and we will listen. What was impressive? That we put we will do before we will listen. But once we said we will do, of course we have to listen. You come up to me, say Goldberg, can you do me a favor? Now an ordinary person would say, what's the favor? But Goldberg's amazing, so what does he say? I'm in. Whatever you want, whatever you ask, I'm in. Can I leave it at that? No, what do I have to do next? After I say I'm in, whatever you want, whatever you need, I'm in, what's the favor? There's no kuns, there's nothing admirable about saying what's the favor. What's admirable is that I said I'll do it even before knowing what it is. But once I say I'll do it, still have to find out what it is. So the only impressive thing that the Jewish people did was putting na'aseh before nishma. That we'll do before we'll listen. But once I said we'll do, of course you have to listen. So how many crowns should the angels have given? One. For the fact that we put we'll do before we'll listen. But not two crowns. Once we said we'll do, of course we have to listen. So you know what the Maharsha says? Nishma doesn't mean what's the favor. Nishma means before I do the favor, or once I'm done with the favor, I want to sit down and I want to understand why this favor's meaningful to you. What's it all about? Why is it important? Why is it meaningful? Why did you ask me to do it? If the favor matters to you, it matters to me. So I'm in. I'm going to do it. And tell me what I need to do and I'll get it done. But more than just get it done because you asked, I want to delve into it, understand it. I want to understand that I want it to be meaningful to me. This is sort of Joseph Chaim Sonnenfeld, Rabbi of Yerushalayim. When you're on Simchas Torah he's dancing with the Torahs, he stopped and he asked the children. He said at the end of davening we say, "Ein Keloheinu, Ein Kadoneinu, Ein Kamalkeinu, Ein Kamosheinu." The children, the Berach boys choir sings the Shabbos morning. Whatever tune you want to use. The classic Ein Keloheinu, the Carlebach Ein Keloheinu, Ein Keloheinu. What do those words mean translate? Ein Keloheinu. There's no one like our God. Ein Kadoneinu, no one like our master, no one like our king, no one like our savior. And once we finish the opening stanza, how does it continue? Ein Keloheinu, Ein And how does it continue? Mi Keloheinu. Mi Kadoneinu, Mi Kamalkeinu. Who is like our God? Who is like our king? And then Nodeh Leloheinu. We admit or we concede or we're grateful. And then finally Baruch Leloheinu, we bless. Asked Rabbi Joseph Chaim Sonnenfeld, "It's out of order. Mi, who Who? The question should come first. You don't say, "Nobody like our God." Who is our God? No, who is like our God? Nobody like our God. It's out of order. You don't answer the question and then pose the question. You pose the question Mi Keloheinu and then you give the answer Ein Keloheinu. It's out of order. So said Rabbi Joseph Chaim Sonnenfeld in the middle of Hakafos on Simchas Torah to the children after he asked the question, "The first thing we need to know is the reason we learn, the reason that we daven, the reason we do all that we do is because Ein Keloheinu. There is no one like our God. What animates and informs, what molds and shapes our identity, our lives, our lifestyle, everything is ain't Kelo Keno. There's no one like our God. But now that we accept it, now that our starting point is there's no one like our God, now let's get into it. Me Kelo Keno. Let's study it. Let's analyze it. Let's understand it. Let's look into it. Let's compare, contrast, analyze, study, evaluate. Me, is there anyone? We start with the answer. Because we don't have some open-ended question then we'll arrive at the answer. We start with the answer. We're confident in the answer. The answer is a non-negotiable answer. And then we ask because nevertheless, even though we start with the answer, you know, in marriage, sometimes we'll give it in this direction. A wife asks her husband to do something. Doesn't understand it, doesn't make sense, doesn't care about it. After muttering and nudging and asking 15 times, he finally is compliant and he gets it done. He does it. So the wife says, "Don't you want to understand why I asked you to do that?" He says, "No. I don't really care. You asked me to do it and I did it. I didn't really want to do it. I don't really care about it. It doesn't make sense to me. But at the end of the day, you asked, so I did it. Now, so on the one hand she's grateful that he did it, but on the other hand is disappointed. Like, where's our relationship? What do you mean? This was not just about the act. It was about coming to understand me. Coming to be curious about me. Coming to learn me. You're not curious why? Why it matters? Why I asked? Why it's a need I have? So with Hashem, our starting point is we're in. Whatever he tells us to do, we'll do. Ain't Kelo Keno. Na'aseh before Nishma. We're in. But nevertheless, Nishma. Yet yes, absolutely. We don't wait for him to tell us. We say to him, "Na'aseh, we're in." But Nishma, no. Right after we do it, we want to sit down and understand it. En Kel Okeynu, there's no one like you, we're in. But right afterwards, Mi Kel Okeynu, we're going to get into it, the kishkas of it. We're going to study it. We're going to study it. And that's what's going on here also. Magid Shvacha Shel Ochina, Shegam Kasha Hesig Es Ha Avoda Tamima, Aaron got into it. Moshe tells him, God wants you to light the menorah. He says, good, done, I'm in, I'm lighting the menorah. And then he sits down and says, but now I'm going to learn about the menorah. How many branches? How is it fashioned? What are the knobs? What are the flowers? Why does it look like this? Why does this light light matter? What do the lights represent? Why is this light always lit? And then the next time he went to light, now did he do it because he said, oh, now I understand, it's gishmak, now I know. He still went back to doing it. Why? L'hagid Shvacha Shel Aaron Shel Ochina, he never deviated his original motive, and his original motivation, he was driven by what? Cuz God said so. Now it's enhanced, it's nice, it's lovely when we understand it. But the reason we do it is because God said so. All that is, number one, Neur of Druk. Again, we've seen this many times, but a Neur of Druk. Number two, Neur of Druk on this Vayas Kein Aaron, Aaron indeed do as he was asked. This is the grace of praise, this is the big praise of Aaron. We asked, what's going on? What's going on? So we go back. Rashi, what we started with. Rashi wondered, why does this parsha follow last week's parsha? Last week, the Nesi'im, the 12 tribes, the 12 leaders brought their 12 exact duplicated sacrifices, and this week Aaron starts out by saying, not fair to me, not fair to me. Choshech Da'ato, he was despondent, he was depressed, he was out. It's not fair to me. And God said, Aaron, don't didn't say This was my question. He didn't say don't snap out of it snap out of it. You get what you get, you don't get upset. Everyone gets what they need. He says, ooh, I love it that you're jealous. I love it that you're envious. I love it that you're competitive. Don't worry. I got something for you. It's called the menorah. What I have for you is even greater. Go, light and maintain the candelabra. So, what do you see from God's answer? That lighting, kindling, cleaning the menorah is greater than offering sacrifices. Not just equal. He didn't just satisfy or appease Aaron by saying, "I have something for you that's equal to what they did." He says, "I have something for you that is greater than what I had." What's greater? How is the menorah greater than the carbon? So, Aaron should have turned to the Nesi'im and done what? That would be beneath Aaron. Of course, he would never do such a thing. But, Aaron could have looked and said, "Yeah, you had the spotlight when you were each bringing your sacrifice. But, get what? Guess what? What I'm asked to do is even greater. It's even greater." Should I have to cuz And who told me it's greater? Hashem himself told me that this is greater than what you got to do. However, Aaron didn't do that. It wasn't about comparing or competing with other people. It wasn't about fame or influence. It wasn't about popularity or celebrity. It wasn't about That's what Aaron Aaron, just like a good soldier, went about what he was asked to do. It wasn't about flaunting or flexing or showing off or comparing or competing. We do what's meant for us to do. It's what a powerful lesson, what a partial perspective for today. He was ready to do this. He asked to do this even before he knew how great it was and then he didn't flaunt or flex it. He didn't show it in in anyone's face. Our job as loyal soldiers of Hashem, keep your head down, do what they ask of you, and get it done. Don't look for fanfare. Don't look to celebrate. It used to be it's changing. But it used to be this was one of the major differences between baseball and football. There's many many differences between baseball and football. There's a famous comedian of blessed memory who had a whole routine on those differences. It was fantastic. Football's all about violence. You play on the gridiron and you and you uh you throw the long bomb and you tackle and baseball the whole goal is just to be safe at home. And he has a whole routine on it. But one of the contrasts is football players football players they score a touchdown what do they do? They got a celebration. They have a whole celebration and they spike the ball they have a whole dance routine and they have a whole celebration. Today you see in football a team is losing. They're losing 49 to zero and a guy has a sack and all of a sudden he celebrates like it's like he just won the Super Bowl. In baseball in baseball again it used to be it's changing it still should be. It's a much more dignified game. This is why you all came to the pasture here right to hear about this. In baseball a player hits a home run what are they supposed to do? Put your head down. You don't even smile. You run around the bases and you go back to the dugout. Why? Cuz that's your job. Your job is to hit a home run. Your job if it's a pitcher you should throw a strikeout. Get back to the get back to the dugout and come back for the next inning. It's your job. It's your job. This is a new age newfangled idea and it's not good. Because we live in a world that measures everything by fame and celebrity and notoriety and followers and and and how viral and how much influence and everyone's desperate to be an influencer. I want fame, I want influence, I want free things, I want all these eyeballs, I want people to watch me. Not Aaron, by asking Aaron like I get shul Lashon Hara. You know what Aaron did? Put his head down, hit a home run every time, and went back to the dugout. He lit the menorah, that was his job. He didn't look over at the Nesi'im and go He didn't tell the Nesi'im Gedola minds greater than what you got to do. He didn't even look out at the crowd and take a bow. He just put his head down and went back to the dugout. By asking Aaron Lashon Hara, never went to his head. When he became a bigger celebrity and more viral and a greater influence, never got to his head, never deviated, never changed, did it for the original reason because Hashem said so. We have a job, we have a mission, and it could be at work, and it could be in life, and it could be with our family, and whatever context it's in, and whatever context it's in, we have a job. Just do your job and go. Don't start flexing, comparing, competing, don't measure against what other people do, don't flaunt and flex and think what you do is greater. Everyone has a job. You're the chazzan in shul and a thousand people are listening to you and marveling at your voice, that was your job. God blessed you with a good voice, do your job, come off the bimah, go back to your seat and go home. And you know what? The person who stays after shul when there's not a person there and collects all the siddurim and chumashim and puts them back in the bookcase, is their job smaller than the chazzan blessed with the great voice? In many ways their job is greater. Nobody sees, nobody notices, nobody Their job is even greater. But you know what? Whatever role you play, you walk around with a tzedakah box during the week at minyan, whatever your job is in your family, in the community, at shul, in your profession, just keep your head down, do your job, don't spike the ball, don't celebrate, don't have a whole dance routine. You could once in a while take pride in accomplishments, but I'm talking about not pausing to take a personal pride in accomplishment. But, keep your head down, do your job, and make it back to home safely. Parshas Pasuk Yitro, moving right along. We have the consecration of the Leviim, who were dedicated and devoted for their service, for their job, speaking about do your job and come home. And the apprenticeship and the responsibility, Zos Asher Leviim, cuz we have a conflict from 25 years of age and up. So, which is isn't from the age of 25, the age of 30. It's a five-year of an apprenticeship that starts at 25. And Rashi tells us a pedagogical lesson, a lesson for life. If you tried something for five years and didn't have success, move on. It's a lesson for life. The Leviim, five years of apprenticeship, and at 30 you really begin. Because if after five years you're not finding success, then pivot. And find your job, your role, your goal. The Ramban has a different interpretation about what these five years and what this deviation is about. Then we come to the Pesach Sheni. Pesach offering in the wilderness, the Pesach Sheni. Oh, sorry, I skipped Parshas Pasuk Test. The Amaras Taharos. Sorry, I skipped. One quick insight on this. The Kedushas Levi, the Rebbe Nachman of Breslov quotes of Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev, the holy Berdichever, who says the following. Va'etnah Leviim, we're on chapter 8, verse 9. Chapter 8, verse 9, bottom of page 774. V'hikravta es haLeviim lifnei Ohel Moed, and bring the Leviim before the Tent of the Meeting, v'hikhalta es kol adas Bnei Yisrael, gather all the Jewish people, v'hikravta es haLeviim lifnei Bnei Yisrael, bring the Leviim and do smicha on them, lean on them with your hands. V'henif Aharon es haLeviim t'nufah lifnei Hashem lifnei Bnei Yisrael, then Aharon wave the Leviim before Bnei Yisrael, so they can serve but the Levi'im and so on and so forth. How many times in these pesukim do we find the word Israel, Bene Israel. So Rashi points out Parshas pasuk yud tes, I had the wrong pasuk. Pasuk yud tes, chapter verse 19, not nine. Sorry, I had the wrong pasuk. V'es nas Levi'im l'am l'avodah k'siv b'nifla'os pasuk. B'soch Bene Israel one, l'avodah avodas Bene Israel two, b'chol am v'eidut l'chaper al Bene Israel three, v'lo yihiyeh b'Bene Israel negah b'geishas Bene Israel el haKodesh. Five times in one pasuk we have the expression, we have the words Bene Israel. Chapter eight, verse 19. Five times in one pasuk I have Bene Israel. We can't use them. We can't say they. We have to spell it out five times Bene Israel in one pasuk. So Rashi says she never pasuk chamisha panim Bene Israel d'chi boston shel Israel. Because when you use someone's name, it is an expression of love. When you use someone's name, it is an expression of affection. When you use a name, you give life. I've spoken about before. I recently got an email from someone about it. When you use someone's name, I remember I still remember when I was dating my beloved wife, the first time that she used my name. She called me Ephraim or said something. My name wasn't Rabbi then. It was Ephraim. That was my bris. They didn't give me the name Rabbi. It's Ephraim, that's my name. Why Ephraim not Ephraim? Ask my parents, they're back in town, you could ask them. But the first I still remember. It it there was a it was an intimacy, a connection. It wasn't just you or that guy or we weren't just to use a name. Wow, he used my name. I I have an identity, I'm a person. When you use someone's name, it means something. So I challenge people. When you're checking out of the supermarket, when you stop at the toll booth, toll booth you should have have easy pass or a sun pass. But when you're checking out of the supermarket, now Reb Yaakov Kamenetsky used to go to the toll booth that had a person. Because he said they sit there lonely all day. No one's noticed them or said thank you when they got the change. So he would say, "Let's go to the toll booth with the person." Even though it could have been faster to go another way. So, but when you're checking out of the supermarket, everyone has a little name tag. Why do they have a name tag there? Why do they have a name tag? They're just a number. They're just a They're just a invisible, inconsequential the They're They're like the self-checkout. They're just a machine. Why do they have a name? Try using it. On the way out, say, "Carol, thank you so much. Have a wonderful day. Bob, thank you. You were wonderful. How are you How's your day, Bob?" I promise you will extend their life by years. You'll put a smile on their face. You'll bring that person back to life. You know what most people are doing while they check out on that same line? They're talking on the phone. They're scrolling. They're answering a text. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Here's my credit card. Uh-huh. The bag. They're lucky if while looking down they say, "Thank you." But if you look up and you put your phone away, if you're on the phone, you say, "I'll call you back in a minute." or "Hold on, I'm checking out." Bob, thank you so much. I'm sorry. And how are How is your day? You'll change a person's life when you use a name. So someone emailed me recently cuz I've said this before. Say, "Rabbi, ever since you said it in the drasha, I've tried to do it. I don't take out my phone when I check out. But now I use Apple Pay and I pay on my phone. So what do I do to tell the person that I'm not on my phone. I'm just trying to bring up the Apple Pay so I can pay." Halavai, these are the questions that we ask. So Rashi says, "Why does it say Bnei Yisrael? Just say they, them. Use a pronoun. Use a statistic or a number. We got it. Bnei Yisrael, five times in one pasuk, Bnei Yisrael?" You know why? Cuz when you use a name, la hodi'a basan she Yisrael. Shem loves us. Says, "My kinder, Yidden, klal Yisrael, Bnei Yisrael, I love you. I love you." So why is this the pasuk he chooses to express his love? This is the verse that he's choosing to show he loves us by using our name five times. Says the Rash Mishpat according to the Kodesh Levi, the Bedichav Rav, because what's this possuk talking about? The role of the Levi'im. The Levi'im, the Levites, were distinguished. They were elevated. They had a prominent position to serve the Jewish people. So, if you're some lousy, low Yisrael, I'm a Yisrael. I'm just a simple Yisrael. I'm an Israelite. So, if we're Yisrael, you say, "I'm watching the Levi'im. Aaron is resting his hands on them and he's waving them and the special sacrifices of them. The Kohanim, the priests, are being anointed and they're getting all the attention. God must love them more than he loves me." The Kohanim, the Levi'im, they have prominence, they have a central role, they have the spotlight, they're the leaders. They must be really beloved by God and I I'm an afterthought. I'm an afterthought. So, dafka, specifically now, in the context of these verses, where the Levi'im are being elevated, Hashem says, "Time out. Pause. One moment." He says, "I love you all." And you've seen this. You go to a simcha and a parent is talking about the bar mitzvah boy and I've seen it and it's a beautiful. They say, "Even though we're highlighting Yankel right now, it says bar mitzvah, each of my children are special. Reuben, you're delicious and Sarah, love, there's no one better than you and I want Even in the moment that I'm elevating one, you each need to know how much I love you and I love you all equally and you're each my favorite in your own way." "Chaviv anef Hashem Yisrael yoser mi sh'ar Yisrael." "L'chayen odienu haTorah Kedosha daika kan chibason she'Yisrael lomashikulam chaviv anef Hashem Yisbaruch Hashem. I love you all equally." So, it's in the moment that the person can feel less than, that's when you have to use their name. That's why when you check out and that person is getting paid minimum wage at the checkout line, who nobody all day and many hours of a shift looks up, even notices they exist, use their name. Use their name and see what it does for them cuz Hashem uses our name specifically in the pasuk where we might feel like an afterthought to the tribe of Levi. Lighter. Perek tes pasuk chof ve gimmel. Chapter 9, verse 23. 9:23. Pesach sheni. Those who said "Lama nigara?" Not fair to me. Those who were ineligible to bring the first korban Pesach, the first to observe the first first Pesach, they complained to Moshe "Lama nigara?" Not fair to us. Second time in our parsha, someone catches not fair to me. Both times Hashem doesn't say "Grow up." What does he say? He rewards them. Aaron was lighting the menorah and these individuals with the gift of Pesach sheni, second chances, second opportunities, spoken about it a lot in the past. Chapter 9, verse 23. Top of page 782. Then at the end, after Pesach sheni, the divine signs for when we travel. How do we know when to travel? We made lots of stop and start. We did a lot of traveling. I'm doing a lot of traveling Baruch Hashem simchas weddings, other events. So, how do we know when it's travel? How do we know when it's time? We look for a sign from Hashem. Al pi Hashem yachanu ve al pi Hashem yisau. Perek tes, chapter 9, verse 23. Chof ve gimmel. Al pi Hashem, according to Hashem, according to the word of Hashem would they encamp and according to the word of Hashem would they journey, the charge of Hashem would safeguard. Al pi Hashem be yad be yad Moshe. What's going on over here? So, Torah devotes a great deal of attention to the way that we had traveled and camped in the midbar. What flight did we take? What was our our our coordinates? How did we travel? When did we go? When did we stop? And so on. When the special cloud rose over the Mishkan, it signaled, "Pack your stuff. It's time to go. Gegangen. We're out." When the cloud descended, it was time to stop, unpack, and camp. All the decisions when to go and when to stop were based on P Hashem. Torah says they're all based on Hashem's will. You know, sometimes we're at home, sometimes we're on the road. And different times you find ourselves in different places, different situations, different circumstances. And the one thing that has to be a constant in a life in a world of variables, in my home, am I on the road, am I on this journey, the one thing that has to be consistent and constant is whether it's on our journey or our encampment, Al Pi Hashem. What has to be the constant in this world of variables is that we follow Hashem. We don't leave religion behind. When we leave, Hashem doesn't stay in the shul, Hashem doesn't stay in the Beit Midrash, and Hashem doesn't stay in the comfort of the routine in my house. Wherever I am, whether I'm on the plane or the train or the boat, I'm on a cruise, I'm on a vacation, I'm on a business trip, or I'm going to a wedding, wherever we are, wherever we go, we have to be traveling and camping Al Pi Hashem, in accordance with the Torah. We're always a Jew. Just like our marriage, a man is on a business trip, he doesn't say, "While I'm on the trip, I'm not married." His identity, his status. A woman is traveling, she's married, she's a mother. Wherever we go, there are identities that are core to who we are, Al Pi Hashem. It's perfectly acceptable to take time off, to vacation, to journey. But even when we break our normal routine, Al Pi Hashem. To daven, you have to make brachas, to be careful what we look at, how we dress, to be careful make a kiddush Hashem, that we're honest, that we have integrity of what we're doing. Those three words, Al Pi Hashem, that is the Jewish ways. That's our compass. That's our Google Map. Up here sham. What gives me the direction of where I'm going always is defined by up here. How am I going to interact with this TSA agent? How am I going to interact with the valet? How am I going to interact with the flight attendant, the person sitting next to me on the plane? Up here sham. Everything has to be informed by up here sham. The says in till him my lower Kenya Neha. So I'm going to put it up down. Pass over of down. Literally means a sham my lower up here sham. Kenya Neha. The literal translation is a sham owns everything in the world. But the possible can be understood that say what it means is what's a Kenyan? An opportunity to acquire. My lower up here sham. The world is filled with Kenya Neha. Ways that we can acquire a relationship with you. My lower up here sham. In Montana and in Wyoming and in the Grand Canyon and the Swiss Alps and of course all over Israel where we should all be prioritizing going right now. Wherever I go and whatever I do, my lower up here sham. If I go up here sham, I'll find you everywhere. I'll find a story everywhere. Can deepen our connection wherever we go. The flight, the cruise, the hike, whatever recreational activity. Sure apply this possible arrangement of life of each and every one of us. Sure says our lives are filled with journeys and encampments. This possible is an illusion to the attitude we have to have. With each departure we say up here sham. In mid session, this is the origin of the expression says the college. This is what he writes. The martial the left of the Yom Kippur. Every time you go, I was talking to someone last night who was on the drive to New York. Many leave Florida, they go on that I-95 drive to New York. What do you do when you pull out of your journey? You should your your driveway. What should you say? He will say the address of the sham is borrow. I'm driving the address with Hashem's help." You don't just say, "I'm driving here. I'm going to carpool. I'm going to the mall. I'm driving to New York." You say, "I'm going b'ezras Hashem with Hashem's help." Over the day to learn from the plan b'ezras Hashem. Where you going? "Oh, I'm taking my kids to camp, God willing." "I'm starting to drive, God willing." God willing b'ezras Hashem. "Amirtza nimtza shem shamayim shogeg b'fi b'shas ol hamachshavah o b'shas ma'aseh kacha kol peh ulosav." It's an amazing Shlah. Shlah says, "This is the origin of the Jewish idiom, the Jewish expression, God willing. God willing." I looked it up. If you look in the Merriam-Webster definition, that idiom, what is God willing? So, this is how the Webster's dictionary defines it. Used to say what one hopes and expects to do or happen if no problem occur. For example, "We'll be able to move into our new house next week, God willing." That's how the Webster dictionary defines. God willing is, "What I hope if no problems happen." That's not the Jewish use of God willing. Webster's is wrong. And we have the origin of it. So, we get to decide the definition. And what's the origin? This pasuk. "Al pi Hashem yachanu v'al pi Hashem yisa'u." Says the Shlah, "This is the origin of this pasuk. That a person doesn't just mean this is my plan if I have no obstacles. This is my plan if I have no problems." Such a definition demeans Hashem. Why? It puts us in charge and in control. And it's more of a prayer that nothing get in our way. That's not what it means. God willing isn't a prayer that nothing get in my way. God willing means whatever happens and however it goes, that's what God wants. God willing means I have my vision, my plan, my goal, but my journey is God willing. It's b'ezras Hashem. Wherever He takes me, however long it takes to get there, whatever happens on the way, it's all a PR sham. A PR sham you saw via PR sham you have a new the flight delay, that was his plan. The cancel that was his plan. It's all his plan. live Adam darko the Yachim possible in Mishlei test love test I Mishlei test I possible test live Adam darko a person thinks about and plans their their their course their their Adam Adam directs your steps. So you say this summer, here's my plan. I'm going here, I'm doing that, I'm going there. At home, this is going to happen then this is going to happen. Hashem Yachim you got your plan mantra and God love everyone knows man plans God laughs considering a surrender Hashem is in charge our journeys and our encampments shouldn't make you anxious or worried. It's not a power struggle with Hashem should bring comfort and security. You know how much better it is knowing going into the summer, whatever plans you have I'll PR sham God willing They're all God willing. If it doesn't work out, it didn't work out. So what? Yeah, it didn't work out cuz all our plans in life, whether we're on the road or whether we're staying home, they're all a PR sham. They're all God willing. So it says God willing when a Jew pulls out and when a Jew pulls in, always it's always God willing. Tell you one last idea about this and then move on. One last idea about this. The Shabbos teaches and stick with me cuz we're going to take a detour to come back to this last part of this idea. The Shabbos teaches creative labor on Shabbos is prohibited. You're not allowed to do the 39 categories of labor, they're all creative labors. You're not allowed to do creative labor on Shabbos. Kill call one of the prohibitions on Shabbos is you're not allowed to be destructive. I if it's a creative labor, how is destroying creative? So the Gamora says that in order for Kilkul to be a Malaches Machsheves, it has to be Kilkul Stira Asoser Al Menas Livnos. I destroyed something, I knocked down a house so that I could build a big beautiful house. I erased so I could write. When you're doing something destructive, it's only creative if the destruction is the is the pretext to do something constructive. And where do we learn that from? The Mishkan. And yet, and yet, in the case of the Mishkan, the destruction and the construction were in two different places. Everything we learn about the laws of Shabbos, the 39 categories of creative labor on Shabbos, they're all learned from the Mishkan. So we learn the prohibition of demolishing and creating from the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. So how could you tell me, I'm only liable if I knock down a house on Shabbos if I did so because I want to build there? But when we destroy, when we demolish the Mishkan, why did we do it? Because we traveled with it, and we assembled it somewhere else. So, how do we learn when it was in two different places? K'sav Rebbi Soser Al Menas Livnos Makom Avodah Soser Al Menas Livnos Sholav Makom Lo Avodah Soser. If you demolish and you're going to build somewhere else, that's not a creative labor. So how do we learn that from the Mishkan? And the Gamara answers, Amri Rabba Mikdei Kam Malchus Yafim Mishkan Hastam Soser Al Menas Livnos Sholav Makom Amalei Shinei Hastam Keivan DeSivav Pi Hashem Yachanu. That was different, why? Because it says Al Pi Hashem Yachanu. Hashem determined our travels. So how does that change anything about the challenge of learning this from the Mishkan? Because the verse says Al Pi Hashem Yachanu, when I demolish in one place and build in another place, that's like I did it in the same place? How's that? So listen to this amazing idea. Rav Chaim Shmulevitz, the great Rosh Yeshiva of the Mir in Yerushalayim, he explains with a Mashal, the parable. A mother travels with her baby. Mother travels with her baby. I've done family vacations with my children when they go with their baby. Baruch Hashem, bli ayin hara, kein yehi ratzon. And it's not easy. It's rough. That baby is sleeping in their arms on the way to the airport, sleeping in their arms at the airport, hopefully sleeping in their arms on the plane, sleeping when we get to the destination, sleeping when we went on the hike in the BabyBjörn, sleeping in the stroller when we went to go see the museum, sleeping One baby can go with parents from LA to Bahrain, to Boca, to South Africa, to Paris, to Costa Rica, of course, hopefully to Israel, the destination. From the baby's perspective, where was the baby all along? One place. His or her mother's arms. His or her mother's embrace, under their love, under their protection, getting their hug. When you ask the baby when they grow up, "Where were you?" "Was in my mother's arms." That's the only address that mattered, no matter where the mother was. From the mother's perspective, the mother's passport is stamped all over the world. But from the baby's perspective, the baby was in the mother's arms being cuddled in the sweet, protective, powerful, loving embrace all along. So, in the desert, geographically, we traveled from place to place. We moved around and about. But emotionally, we were in one place. We were carried in the loving, divine embrace, in the arms of Hashem. And that's what it means, al pi Hashem yachanu, v'al pi Hashem yisa'u. When we travel through life, we're in Hashem's embrace. Yes, our passport may be stamped many separate locations. But wherever we traveled our journeys journeyed all along, al pi Hashem yachanu, v'al pi Hashem yisa'u. We're in Hashem's arms all along, wherever we spend time. And once we realize that, only when we realize that, we shouldn't be anxious or worried, that's when we can let go and let God, and first relax. Perek Yud Pasuk Tes. Yud Tes. How did we know when to break up the camp? The Chatzotzros, the trumpets. Trumpets. Torah says, "Asei l'cha shnei chatzotzros, make two silver trumpets. Make them hammered out. They'll be yours for the summoning of the assembly and to cause the camps to German to to journey." These are yours. Make Make these. V'yamarta lahem, says the Rashba Shulchan Aruch. In a later pasuk. Pasuk Tes. Ki savou milchama b'artzechem. When a When a war When you wage war in your land against your enemy who is oppressing you, v'niskartem. Uch'savou milchama b'artzechem al hatzotzros v'harei'u v'hatzotzros, blow these trumpets. V'niskartem lifnei Hashem Elokeichem v'nosha'atem mei'areichem. When you blow the trumpets, you'll be remembered before Hashem your God, and you'll be saved from your enemies. Blow these trumpets and they'll remind you. You think this is just about your battalions, your units, your armies, your soldiers, your weapons, and you're fighting the enemy. When we blow the trumpets, we'll remember who is really fighting with us and for us. Everything is Hashem, the ultimate. We're in His embrace. We're in His arms. Al pi Hashem, we're even in His embrace in Rafiach, in the north, and wherever we go. But there's another idea. Every time the Torah invokes the image of a war, a milchama, it's talking about physical enemies. Unfortunately, we know too well right now. But it's also talking about another war and another battle that we fight. And that is the war with ourselves. The external war is a difficult war. We can't even begin to imagine. We have endless gratitude to our brave and courageous and holy soldiers who are fighting it. That's the external war. But there's an internal war that we fight. You fought it, whether you were going to come to the parsha class or not. Whether you were going to wake up when your alarm went off this morning, whether you were going to daven, whether you were going to have kavana, whether you were going to talk during davening, whether you're going to eat the good thing for breakfast, the bad thing for breakfast, or skip breakfast all along. We are fighting those battles from the moment our eyes open in the morning till we fall asleep at night. Our day is filled with battles and with wars. I don't get enough sleep, and when the alarm goes off, you know, there are two types of people in this world. There are those people don't even need the alarm. They mentally decide when they want to wake up, that time comes, they sit up in bed, and they start their day. And then there's me. I'm ashamed to tell you how many alarm clocks and systems and snoozes in separate locations, and every morning, by the time I would get out of bed, I have fought a war, a battle, a battle. So, that's the other meaning of this pasuk. There's a battle going on inside. Do I wake up? Do I stay back asleep? Will I eat the wrong thing? Will I eat the wrong thing right thing the wrong thing? How much will I eat? Will I say this gossip? Will I be honest? Will I have my integrity? Will I look at the right thing? Will I dress the right way? Everything is about this battle. We're battling in this physical world. Our soul, our spirit, is being held in this body. And the body has temptation, distraction, is trying to navigate this physical material world, and the soul says, "I don't belong here. This isn't my natural habitat. I strive for something so much higher. How can we live together? How do we reconcile navigating this world together?" The arts of him, when a war wages by arts of him, doesn't just mean in your land, in Israel. The arts of him means when the war waging in you has to do with arts of him, the physical material world. That's the war. The arts Had Sura Etz Ham. There's an enemy. The body, the animal impulse, the animal instinct, the animal soul. So, what's the Etzah? What's the advice? How do you win? How do you overcome this world? She Yizkor Adam L'atzmo Ki Lo Levado Hu Ba Olam Hazeh. The answer is to remember I can't win on my own. Mibal'adei Hashem Yisbarach. I can only win when Hashem helps. You know where they know this well? What's the first step of the 12 steps? You have to surrender to a higher power. I can't conquer whatever addiction, whatever struggle, and make no mistake. I've been in the room. I've been privileged to be invited to award a token to people who have hit milestones. That room is filled with Giborim, with warriors, who are battling and fighting each and every day. Extraordinary people. And they're not different than you and I. You know what the only difference is? Their addiction has a stigma, so they're in a room. And the person who's a workaholic, we admire, "Ooh, they have such a work ethic." But, they're also an addict. And the person who's addicted to exercise, with diminishing returns, to the point they never see their family, they never learn, they never They're addicted. We say, "Wow, they're incredible." And the person who is so addicted to fashion and style and going to the mall, we say, "Ooh, they're so with it and so style." They're also an addict. There are addictions that have stigma, and then there's the rest of the addictions that we all struggle with that don't. But, we all struggle. We're all struggling. You don't think you're struggling? Take out your phone and look at your screen time, and how much time you spent on it, and tell me whether you're an addict or not. We're all addicted. So, how do you overcome? All of us, the first step is surrender to a higher power. Hashem, I can't possibly manage how much time I'm on your technology without your help. I can't manage what I look at, I can't manage what I consume, I can't manage what how I escape, I can't manage my life, the challenges and struggles without you. The first step for all of us to self-improvement is surrender to a higher power. That's the only way. And that's what the Maggid of Mezritch says in the Parsha of Shelach Lecha, Tzo Tzoros. Chatzi Tzoros. Adam Tzair Lishkoach Atzmo In Achares Tzura. What's that Tzura? Remember you're made up of Chatzi Tzoros, Chatzi Tzura. You're made up of two parts. There's the animal body, but you're also made up of a godly soul. Below the Chatzi Tzoros, remember your two Tzoros. There's not only me the body, who's drawn to, who's tempted, who's addicted, who's compulsive, there's also the other half of who I am, the true half, the everlasting half of who I am, which is to be a godly soul. Beharai Osem Bachatzi Tzoros, below the Chatzi Tzoros, the two parts of who I am, and that's the way to win the war, the Milchama Ba'aretz Chaim, the battle in the place over our physical and material sense of being. Okay. Right there. We've got 5 minutes left, but we've got 5 hours worth more of material. What should we do? Yisro was ready to leave. Yisro is still with the Jewish people. Perek Yud Pasuk Chaf Tes, chapter 10, verse 29, page 784. The order of breaking the camp, they blow the trumpets, that's how you know to go and come, they break the camp, and who's ready to book out? None other than Yisro, Moshe's father-in-law. Vayomer Moshe LeChavav, we're on chapter 10, verse 29. Vayomer Moshe LeChavav ben Reuel Hamidyani, Yechos ein Moshe. Moshe tells of the son of real to another name for Yisro, his father-in-law. No similar to my commercial motion we're going to the place that God promised us. Come the height and new swear father-in-law come with me. They tell me we'll make it good for you because God has spoken of good for the Jewish people. It's going to be good. It's going to be good smack. It's going to be good valid. Swear father-in-law Yisro come. Come with us. Well, you my love and Yisro responds and he says no I'm not coming. I'm going home. It's time to go home. Well, you know unlike every other son of law says No, please don't go. Motion means it. Well, you know I'm a father-in-law can make these jokes. I'm not motion says no, I mean it. I'm not being sarcastic. I'm not just saying it superficially. Swear father-in-law I mean it. Don't leave us. You know our encampments in the desert. You have been our eyes. Well, you can say when you come with us, if you come with us, then with the goodness with a sham does will benefit us will give to you. And abruptly the Torah leaves it there. Did Yisro leave? Did Yisro stay? What does the possible say? Doesn't tell us. We don't know. Later commentators debate. The debate. Did Yisro stay? Did he leave? Why would the Torah omit that fact? Did he stay or did he leave? We spoke about it in the past. I'm not going to give you an answer now. But the question is why was it so important for Yisro to stay? Well, wonders in his life why is motion pleading with his father-in-law? You have to stay. Why is it so important? Why is it so important? So the answer is go back to the beginning of Yisro. When Yisro joins the Jewish people, why he come? He says, "Ata yadati ki gadol Hashem mikol Elohim. Now I know that God is the greatest God." And Rashi says, "Yisro had experimented, he had studied comparative religion. He had experimented with every religion in the world. There wasn't an idolatry that he hadn't worshipped. That he hadn't worshipped. Lo yaniach Yisro avodah zarah b'chol ha'olam shelo chazar v'lo avda. He tried every idolatry. And that's why it says mikol ha'Elohim from all of those false gods, this is the only real God. It means Yisro was a bucky. Yisro was an expert in everything the world has to offer. He makir v'yodea tachbulosav. He knew everything the world offered. Cuz he experiment experimented, he experienced, he tried all the inyanim ba'olam. Everything that would distance you from God, he tried it. Yisro was an expert. He tried Molly, cocaine, meth, marijuana, alcohol. He tried, he went to Vegas and he lived in the casino, he did the gambling. He lived on the strip and he went into the places he shouldn't have been in. He tried the stock market, he was a hedge fund manager, he pursued money. He was an Instagrammer, an influential influencer, he tried the world of social media. There was nothing in the world that he hadn't done. He worshipped at all of the idols, all of the altars of this world. He worshipped celebrities, he worshipped athletes, he worshipped money, he worshipped influence, he worshipped power and to the White House. He worshipped it all. He had tried it all and he knew the downfall and detriment. He knew the problems with all. And that's why Moshe says, "V'eino lanu le'einayim, ayisa lanu le'einayim. Don't leave. You'll be our eyes. Because we're about to go through this world and it's going to entice us. I've got two to three million people with me," says Moshe, "and I know they're going to want to check out Vegas. I know they're going to think that where it's at is stock market. I know that they're going to think they want influence and power and social media followers, but you've seen it all, you've done it all, you've been everywhere, and you know that that's not what it's about. What does it say in in the third paragraph of Sh'ma? And Rashi there says, "Don't pursue the things that will draw you and distract you. Lev Enayim, our heart and our eyes are the moral problem of the guf. They're the spies of the body. The eyes and the heart. The eyes of this amazing at the corner of our eye, I think I see an extra piece of dessert. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a little yetzer hara I can look at. A little yetzer hara I can worship. A little yetzer hara I can desire. The eyes and the heart the spies of the body. So, what you Moshe is telling Yisro by "Esa l'Moze Enayim, you'll be our eyes" is when our bodies, the spies of our bodies, our eyes fail us, cuz they make us want to check out or pursue or sign up or subscribe or go to the places that will not be good for us, you've been there and you've done that. And you can get up and you can say, "Don't do it. Don't do it." Coming back to our metaphor about the room and the 12 steps, I need you to be the sponsor of all of Klal Yisrael. What's the idea of the sponsor? Someone is a few steps ahead of you. Been there, done that. I know the downfall, I know the obstacles. I know the problems. Yisro, will you be the sponsor of Klal Yisrael? "Vayisa l'Moze Enayim, stay and be our eyes. Stay and be our eyes." Did he stay or did he leave? We don't know. Text doesn't tell us. Why doesn't it tell us? It's a good question. Spoken about it before. I'll leave it for you to think about. So much we didn't get to about how Moshe is the greatest, most humble man ever. But but Ish Moshe Anav MiKol adam. Who wrote that down? Who wrote that down? Who recorded the whole Torah? God dictated and who wrote it down? So Moshe wrote down, Moshe is the most humble man of all time. Does that sound humble to you? Moshe, write this down. Moshe is the most humble man that ever lived. Moshe said, "Sure, I got it. How do you spell Moshe? No problem." I'll make sure I get that right. Does that sound like humility? I guess next year Balak will have to answer that question. Please God together in Yerushalayim. Should be a day of besoros tovos. Please remain to finish all of sefer Tehillim. Divide it up. 30 people stay. It'll take 5 minutes to finish all of Tehillim. We owe it to our brothers and sisters.