Parsha Perspectives for Today (Behaalosecha, 5782) - Spiritual Ambition

Good morning in Boca Raton, and welcome back to Parsha Perspectives for today. So good to be together as always study the Parsha Balak, and to extract the lessons the perspectives for today. Want to begin with our attitude of gratitude as always. A big thank you to our generous sponsors Becky and Avi Katz and family who sponsor the Parsha Perspectives series for the year in memory of Becky's father David Grossman David Ben Menachem Monish. Also a reminder, if you have not yet signed up for our one and one campaign please do so. $1 a day to stock a 1 minute a day of Torah learning all in the merit of SD Moskowitz Esther Tehillah bas Sarah Leah bas Tziporah. All those who are ill should have a speedy and a painless refuah shleimah, a full and speedy recovery. Also a reminder, our Parsha Perspectives for today are now being written up. You could print them out and read them at your Shabbos table. Three beautiful divrei Torah, one for each meal. Subscribe to our newsletter details are right here on the screen. Okay, Parshas Balak. Let's begin right there. Vayomer Adonai el Moshe lemor, God speaks to Moshe saying, Daber el Aharon el Aharon speak to your brother Aharon and tell them, Behaalotecha et hanerot el mul pnei hamenorah, ya'iru shivat hanerot, when you light the lamps, when you kindle the candelabra, towards the face of the menorah, the seven candles should face, they should illuminate, they should light. Says Rashi here on our pasuk, Balak, lamah nismachah Parshas Sotah Parshas Sotah, lamah nismachah Parshas Menorah Parshas Nesi'im, why is the story, why is the lesson or the obligation of the menorah adjacent juxtaposed to the story of the Nesi'im? Last week's Parsha we had the seemingly or repetitive and redundant sacrifices that were offered by the princes the Nesi'im. So why did we end last week's Parsha all 12 Nesi'im seem to bring the exact same korban, but we know that two chefs, two cooks that put in the same spices, they could follow the same recipe, it's going to turn out entirely different. And the same is true for our great sages, our great leaders, our great Nesi'im. Says Rashi, lifnei keshe'arah Aharon chanukas hanesi'im, chalshah da'ito shelo ya'im ono Aaron saw the Nissi and got to bring these great gifts, when he witnessed each of the leaders, the heads of the tribes, brought their own sacrifice, he felt very demoralized. He was saddened. and Hanukkah, he wasn't part of this inauguration. Not him and not his tribe. Don't worry, God says to Aaron. Your lot is greater than theirs. They bring the sacrifice, but you, you're going to kindle, you're going to light the menorah each and every day. You're going to light the menorah each and every week. You're going to light the menorah each and every year. We've spoken about this many times before. Aaron seems to be like an impetuous child, God forbid, crying and complaining and kvetching. It's not fair to me. How come I don't get to bring the sacrifices? Aaron, this is Aaron the Cohen. Why is he kvetching? Why is he kvetching? Aaron the Cohen and the whole tribe of Levi have an incredibly distinguished and noble position. God says about them himself, the Levite are for Hashem, they are the chosen ones. They have positions of distinction. They have a leadership role. He and among Levi among the Kohanim, there's no one greater than Aaron. Aaron is the Cohen Gadol, he's the high priest. He's the Gadol Sh'be Gadolim. He has the highest level of sanctity, the highest level of holiness, the highest status, the highest identity, greater even than Moshe Rabbeinu. Moshe's not the Cohen Gadol. So, how could Aaron, who touches and attains the pinnacle, Aaron climbs to the very top, this is the Aaron who's jealous? I would understand someone who doesn't have a role. I would understand someone who feels they're on the outs, but Aaron, he's the holiest. Aaron, he's the most distinguished. Halacha Dato, he becomes despondent, he has despair, he becomes demoralized. Kadish Baruch has to be my fire, Hashem has to appease him. How can it be? What's going on here? Says Rebbe Chaskel Levinshtein, "Shidduch shall my time with time shall be the time most time shall all in the stock you know severe my madrigal the time you shall follow my madrigals." You see that what a person is competitive for says everything about them. Person who has drive was ambition, what is our drive and how is our ambition directed? Bigger house, nicer car, more money, finer things, upgrade the latest, the newest, the biggest, the best. For the holy, for the spiritual, for the person who's at a high level, their shifa, their goal, their aim, their ambition, their drive is in ruchnius, is in Torah. Aaron is not envious or jealous that he says, "Take it away from them and give it to me." Envy is forbidden is assur when you say I deserve not the other. When you say take it from them and give it to me, I deserve much more. But when you say, "I want also, I want in addition, why not me? Why not me?" Says Rebbe Chaskel Levinshtein, the mashgiach Rebbe Chaskel, "This is the greatness of Aaron." When we came in Shul Aaron and see me if you carbon is in this beer, Shave it leave me alone you should have to me Halacha Dato. He was sad. There's an opportunity to come close to you Hashem, there's an opportunity spirituality, there's an opportunity to experience a closeness and a connection with you, I want it. And however, this is the theme of our parsha. We'll have in our parsha later Pesach Sheini, this group we'll get to it and we'll see Lomani Garua, why are we left out? Why are we deprived of the opportunity of the chance? Who in the right mind, who today if given a year off from Pesach, don't clean, don't go for the carbon, don't make your way to Yerushalayim, don't worry about the cost. Don't worry, you get a year off. Everyone would say, "Shh." Okay? Not asking any questions. Taking my year off. But not not that demographic, not that group, not those who were ineligible for the first Pesach. They said, "Lama nigara? Why should we miss out?" You see, when you're spiritually demoralized, when you're spiritually disconnected, when you're spiritually dry, then when you have a chance to be off the hook, you're grateful, you're glad, you're excited. No Tachanun, great. Less davening, no Tachanun. But when you're an Aaron Cohen, when you are the generation who pushed and pressured Mosha, "What about Pesach Sheini?" then you don't say, "Great. I'm off a break, a vacation." You say, "Lama nigara?" You say, "It's not fair to me." Chosha daita, Aaron says, "Everyone else has the chance. I want in. I want that opportunity. I want that chance. I want to be able to come close." This Chor L'Dovid, a safer by Rav Dovid Molinovsky, who's the Rosh Yeshiva of Or Torah, he says, Tzav ach l'Ahav u'Mav yer b'Pitrei Madlich u'Meitiv Yosif Al Ha'Mizbei'ach Carbonos. Hashem appeases Aaron. How does he appease Aaron? He appeases Aaron by telling him, "Don't worry. Don't worry. Yours is greater than theirs." How does that make him better? In what way is lighting the menorah greater than the carbonos? These carbonos were many animals, multi-animals. These carbonos were in high profile. And Aaron, he's cleaning out and lighting the candelabra. In what way is it greater? So it says in the Z'chor L'Dovid, She'K'chol She'Carbonos Hayu May'Puligi L'Olam Eish Gava, U'Chol Zos P'ulah Achas Pa'amis. These carbonos were offered one time. It was a one-time event, one-time experience. It was lofty. It was noble. It was beautiful. It was high profile, but it was one time. But Aaron, Hadlakas Ha'Neiros P'ulah Kavua Yom Yomis. V'Eich Zeh Lo Achayn Tzeil Pitzuy Gadol Mi'Chanukas Ha'Mishkan? Aaron, you have consistent, it is constant, It is ongoing. And therefore, it is greater. Sometimes we think that that which gains or garners the greatest attention, the biggest stage, the highest profile, that's what's big, that's what's significant, that's what's important. And the small, little, seemingly insignificant things, the everyday mundane, that's unimportant. But here Hakadosh Baruch Hu, the Almighty tells to Aaron, "What you have is gedolah mi'shelachem. Yours is greater. Because in fact, the capacity to maintain the consistency, the ability to have the continuity, the ability to be reliable and dependable in the seemingly small, but to show up and to do what's needed, and to do so without fanfare, that's in fact greater. That is in fact loftier. That is in fact a higher level." So you see from Aaron's reaction and Hashem not telling Aaron, "Grow up. What are you complaining about? How could you be kvetching? It's not fair to me." Instead, Hashem says, "Wow, that's fantastic." Hashem validates Aaron's feeling and then tells him, "Don't worry. You get to light the candles, and that's greater." You see that a healthy competitiveness in spirituality, a a competitive nature can sometimes be good. Competitiveness is not good if it's a win-lose. If you're trying to defeat the other. But in Stephen Covey's model of a win-win, if you say, "You succeed, you grow, you climb that spiritual mountain, I don't want it instead of you, I don't want it in lieu of you, I want it in addition to you." To see someone who's an amazing davener, or someone who's a great learner, see someone who's an incredible instinct for chesed, for tzedakah, and you say, "Not that I want that honor or glory, or I want that skill or capacity instead, I want it in addition. I too have the drive, have the ambition. I want to be like them." Hashem rewarded, he appeased, he acknowledged. And he said, "Don't worry. When you see someone who's getting the fanfare, who's got the feature, that's one time, that's not great. Greatness is reliability, dependability. Greatness is found in the small, seemingly insignificant greatness of showing up each and every day. That is Greatness is a beautiful Ramban here. I don't think we have time to get into it. We discussed in the past where the Ramban says that Aaron don't worry, your descendants the Hasmoneans, they're going to light the menorah forever. The Hanukkah hadn't yet happened. The story of the miracle of lighting the menorah hadn't yet happened. The story of Hanukkah hadn't yet happened. How does the Ramban make sense? How does the Ramban understand that's what possibly is the conversation happening here in the Torah that precedes by a long time the story of Hanukkah? What does that mean? What does that mean is for another time we can dive deep into it. But let's keep going. Parshas Pasuk Gimel. Let's keep going. Oh, one more idea. Well, one more before we keep going. What was this under the Ramban? There's a lot to unpack with the Ramban. We'll just do a little bit. What was the Milah Gedolah of Beis Hashmonai that was Gedolah Me'avodas Korbanos Beis Hamikdash? What the Hasmoneans, according to what the Ramban understands this conversation. Aaron says it's not fair to me I didn't get to bring the sacrifices. Hashem says relax. They did was only when the Beis Hamikdash existed. But your descendants the Hasmoneans they're going to step up, they're going to light the candles. And that will transcend even when there is the Galus Yavan, even when there is that exile of Yavan. Says Rav Steinman Zatzal in Yeshayahu Zecharyah. He says the Nesi'im, they brought the Chanukas Hamizbei'ach Korbanos, which is very lofty, it's very great. It's one of the Avodahs of these things the world rests on. Torah, Avodah, and Gemilas Chassadim. Gives Hashem a great Nachas Ruach. Hashem has a great joy and a great satisfaction. However, Nidvas Samai'ach U'velos B'min Hamasi'em. Parah Chad Eil Echad Kesef Mizrak Kesef. Kaf Malei'ah Ketores. It was defined. They had a specific Korban they were each meant to bring. It was overlapping, it was the same, but it wasn't redundant as we said. Each chef brings the recipe, but adds their own knead, their own flavor, their own spice that comes out different, individuality, but it was defined. There were boundaries, there were parameters. However, the was there were no boundaries. There was nothing that held them back. They overcame this Hashim. It was an exile was a they sacrificed themselves with the mysterious nefish. The Nesiim also gave of themselves, dedicated and devoted and contributed their very selves. But they did so under certain pleasant, comfortable circumstances. The Nesiim showed mysterious nefish. That which we have to give with mysterious nefish, that which we have to give with extra effort and sacrifice and compromise and difficulty, that's the doros. That is everlasting. That is the most transformational and that's why what you have is greater in fact even than theirs. Okay, let's keep going. tells us after receives this instruction, the so fast in the question of wonders. When it comes to there's a ramp, you're not allowed to climb on steps. You can't expose your view, your nakedness. You can't stand still in the approach to the so there's a ramp, you have to run up and yet when it comes to the there's a step, there's a platform. Aaron ascends when you ascend the platform to light the menorah. In what way are the menorah and the different that it's okay for the menorah to have a platform but the has a ramp not a platform? He asks a great question. Curious if you have a good answer, let me know. But next verse. Aaron gets the instructions to light the menorah and he does so. And he lights facing the just as he is commanded. And Rashi tells us on this and Rashi tells us on this and Aaron did exactly as he was commanded to to us this is the greatness of Aaron. Aaron did not deviate. He did not change. He followed the instruction verbatim. He followed what he was asked to do exactly. He was very exacting and scrupulous and vigilant. Now, that's a beautiful comment endorsement of Aaron. But we have thought for a moment, would we have hesitated or considered, would we have contemplated that Aaron was going to inject his own creativity, distort, manipulate, change? What does that mean that Aaron didn't change? That's a compliment for an Aaron. So, in a letter of the author of Kelm, to one of the musar of his talmidim, he said dafka b'maasim gedolim v'atzumim. Person is not judged by the the large and the great things. Ad d'raba, lifamim kal adam laasos mitzvos gedolim. Sometimes we can rise to the occasion. We're asked to do something monumental, something extraordinary. We can rise to the occasion of something enormous. Laasos batzalos nefashos, to get involved in saving lives, to dig deep into our pocket, to write a big check, to sacrifice our time, our resources, to show up. But a mitzva amitis, the real test of a person is not when the lights and the camera are on, when the stage is set. They're not in the big and the large monumental moments. They're in the small moments. Im adam oseh sam k'fi she'tzarich. Do we do the way we're meant to do? Do we act and do we respond and do we do when no one's watching? I had a rebbe used to say, you know, sometimes you see someone they're getting an aliyah to the Torah. They're called up to the Torah. And the way they recite that birkas haTorah, Asher bachar banu mikol ha'amim, such kavana, they crack it out, they scream it out, they cry it out with such intense kavana. Said, but you know, when they're not getting that aliyah, every one of us recite the birkas haTorah every morning. It's part of our morning routine, part of our birkas haShachar. When no one's around and you're at home and you're getting your day started when you're just launching into your beautiful you're not standing on the Beamer and everybody's not watching and listening and nobody hears do you say the Torah the same way you do when you're getting an idea to the Torah it's the small seemingly insignificant it's the daily consistent routine that's what speaks about a person that's what testifies to the person that's what the mission of tells us have you solved the mystery that a person should treat with seems like a small insignificant thing like a great thing the great and the righteous would pay attention and be vigilant with that which seems small like it was great the extent that he went the distance that he went the sacrifice that he went and he had his family involved he got his wife he got his son run don't move slowly run go above and beyond go above you know this was a this was custodial janitorial cleaning out the candelabra setting up the wicks to light it again you know this doesn't seem significant the shamash would do it not the Rebbe you know this would be the town but not the Russia Shiva to stand and to toil to remove the old wicks to clean it out to fill it up to add the new wicks and yet for Aaron it never got old it never grew old it never grew stale it never lost its excitement why why so this is the author of Calvin's insight why have I asked in Aaron why was Aaron he never changed never deviated it never got old what didn't change was not the performance in the way he did the mitzvah what didn't change was his words he didn't change he didn't become too arrogant or too egotistical he didn't become too elevated too much above being able to do this mitzvah for Aaron psh, what a gift, what an opportunity, what an invitation. Why? How was he able to preserve that level of excitement, enthusiasm, alacrity? How did Aaron get as equally excited? Shabbos again, davening again, it's an opportunity for stuck on mitzvah again. It's a chasan and bikur cholim and nichum aveilim again. How was it shalom shalom that he never changed, never got old, it never grew stale, he never felt above it? The answer is found in the possuk itself, says the alter of Kelm. You know what the answer is? Kasher tziva Hashem es Moshe. When you feel that this is your this is what Hashem commanded, this is our mission, this is what he expects, this is what he wants, this is how we come close. Mitzvah kasher tziva tzava tzava tzavos is to create a connection, a bond. Says the alter At the time Vilna was a great city. This is what he writes in Hochma uMusar Chelek Beis. The alter of Kelm in this letter, he says, a minyan of 10 who are excited to be there, who are davening and giving their all, who are fully mindful and present as they pray, they might as well be in the great shul of Vilna with thousands of people. It's not a matter of how size, small, big, large, it's not a matter of how ornate, it's a matter of our attitude. So the story of Chaim Ozer Chaim Ozer Grodzinski once went to Krakow in Galicia and he had a certain meeting. The problem is that he had a coat his coat his rabbinic garb got torn. He had a tear and he went to a tailor. He found the name of a tailor who was in a great meeting in Krakow and Rav Chaim Ozer, the great posek, arguably the greatest posek of his generation, the great Rav Chaim Ozer in Krakow had this tear, he couldn't appear that way. So he found a tailor and he went to tell him somebody asked the tailor if he could repair the tear. The tailor said, "Absolutely. I just need a moment because it was Hanukkah. I just need to light the Hanukkah licht. I need to light the Hanukkah candles and then I can repair your tear. So, Chaim Oizer said, this simple tailor, how long will it take him to light the Hanukkah candles? A minute? Two? But he watched. Chaim Oizer watched and he couldn't believe what he saw. What happened? What happened? He was not a yoda of this tailor. Went and first he washed his hands and then he took off his weekday shmata, his clothing, his his tailor garb and instead he put on his big day shabbos. He went and he transformed himself into his shabbos clothing. He washed his hands and then he lit the Hanukkah candles with all of his heart and all of his soul and all of his kavana and all of his mindfulness and then he sang slowly and with feeling Maoz Tzur and it took half an hour, 45 minutes until finally he turned to the Chaim Oizer and he was ready to repair his garment. Chaim Oizer would tell this story over and over and he would say, you see, this is why Galicia, Krakow are such great cities of Torah because even the simple tailor approaches a mitzvah with excitement, with joy, with enthusiasm, with alacrity. Never grows old, it never grows stale, it never becomes rote. Put on your shabbos clothing, you wash your hands, you slowly, mindfully pay attention and insert your entire self. La Hag Shvacho, this was the shevach of an Aaron that he never changed, it never grew old, it never grew stale. In the safer Emes Ve'Emunah that we've been learning from Kotsker from Kotsk. So, it says the following. Kotsker would quote the Yid HaKadosh of Yudi HaKadosh. That the Yid HaKadosh would describe that when he would make the bracha every morning in his birchas hashachar, he said the bracha shelo asani thank you Hashem that I was not born a non-Jew. Not discriminating and not biased and not disparaging non-Jews but it means non-Jews only have seven mitzvahs and we have 613. So, we're so grateful for the opportunity and invitation to do more mitzvahs. And the Yid HaKodesh would feel when he made that bracha, every day when he said that bracha Sh'lo Asani he felt like he converted, like he transformed from a non-Jew to a Jew. The host of Rabbeinu Amar, the Kotzker would add, "Hafeirish b'dei Rashi, that's what Rashi meant here. Vayas Kein Aharon Shloshina." Aaron did similarly, he didn't change. What does that mean? Sh'lo Hisya'shein. The word Shina can mean in change. He didn't distort, he didn't pervert, he didn't manipulate, he didn't change the mitzvah. He followed through exactly as his brother had commanded, as he told him. He didn't change it whatsoever. However, the Kotzker understood it differently. Instead of seeing the word Shina as to change, Sh'lo Hisya'shein means Sh'lo it didn't become old. U'v'chol Yom Aya Oved M'chudash V'lo B'regilus K'mo Davar Yashan. Something old, Yashan is old, old, outdated, archaic, stale, old. You know, we live in a time, we live in a in a generation that old, outdated, we're constantly upgrading. We need the latest model. We need the upgrade. We turn it in and we upgrade upgrade our phone and upgrade our operating system and upgrade our car. And unfortunately and tragically, people try to upgrade members of their family, upgrade their marriage. We're living with the mentality of a disposable society where we're constantly seeking to upgrade. So, says the the Kotzker, applying the insight of the Yid HaKodesh, the Yid HaKodesh said, "Every day Sh'lo Asani like he became new again, he was born again, born Jewish again, as if he just became Jewish again, he just became bar mitzvah again, just became bas mitzvah again, just became obligated in mitzvahs again. Vayas Kein Aharon, that's what Aaron did. Sh'lo Shina doesn't mean he didn't change. Sh'lo Shina, it didn't become Yashan. It never got old, it never grew stale, it never grew old, it never became outdated. It was fresh and it was new, M'chudash. It wasn't Yashan, it wasn't old. K'dei similarly, maybe not only Yoshan old, Yoshan means to sleep. Shloshina, he never slept walk through it. How many of us sleepwalk through life? People finish davening, they don't even remember coming to shul. They don't remember opening the sitter. They don't remember taking three steps forward by the time they take the three steps back. We sleepwalk through mitzvahs, we sleepwalk through learning. We finish listening to the daf, learning the daf, we don't even know what daf, we don't even know what it was about. We're sleeping with our eyes open, we're sleepwalking through life. Shloshina, Yoshan, it wasn't old, Yoshan, he wasn't sleepwalking, and he never lost his enthusiasm for it. Okay, perek perches rather possuk vov, moving right along. V'daber Hashem el Moshe l'emor is the next section, kach es ha'Leviim mitoch Bnei Yisrael v'tiharta osam. The consecration, the sanctification of the Leviim, their great place of distinction. Take the Leviim from the Jewish people, v'tiharta osam, and purify them. Kach es ha'Leviim mitzot Yisrael, she. What does it mean Moshe is instructed kach es ha'Leviim, take the Leviim? How is he meant to take them? In handcuffs? With a rope? With a straitjacket? Throw them in the back of a truck? What does it mean kach, take them? Take them and purify them, because they're closest. You see that those who are meant to be role models, those who are meant to be teaching and leading and modeling, they need to demand more of themselves, more is expected of them, they have to live a higher level. V'tiharta osam, you have to live a higher level of purity. But says Rashi, kach es ha'Leviim, what does that mean? Kachem b'divoram, ashreichem she'zchisem l'hiyot meshulemei makom. Kach b'divoram. Rashi says, kach es ha'Leviim, how do you take them? B'divoram. With words. Oh, you see something so important. Recently, I'm buying the bima, we had a shiva listening, marriage and family therapist, and she spoke about how you could be the type of person that others are comfortable to disagree with. How can you be the type of humble and modest person? How could you make space and room for others to be able to disagree with you? Says Rashi Kakh, take them how? Bidvarim, with persuasion. Use your words. Don't overpower, and don't weaponize, and don't abuse, and don't bully, and don't use force. We have to learn the power of persuasion. To speak, and if you can't persuade successfully, then you make space and room for other people to have different opinions. So, have other people have different opinions. What a beautiful insight You see this throughout our Torah often. When we talk about Dvarim Kakh, how does Kakh Kikhah is described not to take forcefully, not to take physically, but Bidvarim, with our words. With our words are the way that we're meant to to capture. Okay, Perches, Pasuk Yud Tes, still here on on Perches and the consecration of the Levi'im. Pasuk Yud Tes, V'et nas ha'Levi'im l'Avodah al benei Yisrael. Assign the Levi'im to be presented to Aaron and his sons from among Klal Yisrael. L'Avodas Avodas benei Yisrael, they're meant to serve and to work for the Jewish people. L'Avodas Avodas al benei Yisrael. V'lo yihiyeh b'benei Yisrael negef b'geshes benei Yisrael el ha'Kodesh. And the children of Israel tend to mean to provide atonement for them, so there won't be a plague among Klal Yisrael when they approach the Kodesh, when they approach the sanctuary and the holy and the holy place. V'et nas et ha'Levi'im. Zakh Rashi He says Rashi here on this. V'et nas ha'Levi'im, you notice in this Pasuk how many times does it say benei Yisrael? We got it. The children of Israel. Hashem, your people, your nation, your children. I got it. V'et nas ha'Levi'im l'Avodas Avodas b'tokh benei Yisrael. L'Avodas Avodas benei Yisrael. L'khaper al benei Yisrael. V'lo yihiyeh b'benei Yisrael negef b'geshes benei Yisrael el ha'Kodesh. Where's the camera? Five times, no less than five times. Why five times? When you hear the number five, it should elicit an association. What is the number five reminiscent of? Hamish Five times it says why? To reference just like the is the love and the affection that has for the Jewish people. It says our name five times. Just like the just like the What is one thing you have to do with the other? What is the have to do with love for us? Is it just a cute number? Five times we're mentioned. Hamish Hamish five books of Mosha. What does it mean? So the author of Kelm So quoting several authors of Kelm here. He says the following. He says, I was moved. I was shocked. I was uplifted. Wow. I was wowed by the love and the affection that has for the Jewish people. Five times in one pasuk. says the same name the same words over and over again. If you look at the pasuk grammatically, it would have worked out well to simply say our name once. Why five? You say it. My tired kid, my beautiful son, my beautiful daughter, my child. You say their name, you love that child over and over and over again. You say their name. A name is an expression of affection. A name elevates. A name creates a bond and a connection and a closeness. So says the author of Kelm, "If it had not been written in the Torah, you wouldn't believe it." The love a father could have for a child. The love has for us. Cuz he us. That level of affection, of connection, that level of elevating us by using our name. If he shows this love to us, we have to reciprocate. We should love him back. The devotion, that dedication, that love back to him. You see from here this expression of affection, this incredible love, this connection, and this closeness. But it goes It goes further. It's a beautiful insight. Here from Eisenman who was the head of the Torah on this Rashi. What he meant, five times the words Israel and the five books of motion. What's the connection? What's the connection? It's a critical, critical notion. The idea that a rabbi, a rabbi, a derives their power, derives their leadership, derives their strength, derives their creativity, derives their from the from the strength and the merit of the community. Of the community. That's where it comes from. And that's what the means to tell us here. That So we derive our strength second by the beam of reference when we had Schlita. He spoke about the fact that when he goes scholar residence speaks elsewhere, takes him longer to prepare and it's much harder to give a successful drasha. When you're home, you're kehillah, your tzibbur, it's the koach, that's what gives the rabbi, the rav, the speaker, the rebbetzin strength. That's what gives them the creativity, that's what gives them the leadership. That's where this power comes from. That's where that merit comes from. It comes The power of Torah comes from the community. Klal Yisrael chamisha chumshay Torah. The five times Bnei Yisrael, the five times of Chumash, the power of Torah comes from the unity and the connection of Klal Yisrael, of Klal Yisrael. I saw another insight of where it may come from. I don't remember where I saw this. Was this Kotsk? Maybe it was from the Kotsker. And I might have thought there's a distinction, that there's a difference. Oh, maybe the Kotsker. were mentioned so many times, just like the Chumash. Oh, this is the Kotsker. The Leviim are separated out. Leviim are not included in the senses in the count of Klal Yisrael. Leviim have a position of distinction. Klal Yisrael, the rest of the Jewish people might have gotten sad that we lost our power, we lost our sanctity, we lost our holiness. Who are we and what are we? We are failures. We flopped, we came up short. The Leviim didn't participate in the ego. They're counted separately and they're charged with a mission and a mandate with a greater level of holiness. All the holiness went to them and who and what are we? Says the Kotsker, Hashem showed a special affection. You're not a failure, you're not rejects, you're not failures. And that's where the metaphor, the parallel to Chumash comes in, says the Kotsker. have to be score off in the safer of near at small become a common safer Torah effort British small become a member of each of its own book that we get into that in our partial. Really there were seven books not five. I even saw Aaron bracketed by those moons. How many books of Torah are there? Each is a distinct unit. Each safer of Humash is its own unit. It's its own safer and yet they combine to create Torah. Khamish Humash Torah, it's the five books of Mosha but known as the five books simultaneously it is the one Torah. Kain am at least so after nothing to show us to do so to mashallah calls us a threefold people. We're made up of the ministry of become a leader of the nation of Hashem. The story of the nation of Hashem here the Kotsker uses words in the positive sense that the nation of all of us are holy. We are a threefold people that come in the name of the nation of Israel. Three identities, three demographics, three separate units but just like there are five separate books but they comprise the one Torah. Each of us is our own book. Each of us is our own chapter. Each of us is in our own tribe. Each of us is made up of different kind of the nation of Israel and yet we are one people called the nation of Hashem. The nation of the nation of Hashem. So therefore says the Kotsker that's what the positive was telling us. The love that he has. Don't feel you're rejected. Don't feel you're a failure. Don't feel that Hashem gave up hope on you and he turned only to the nation of just like our five separate books but they make up one safer. The nation of Israel are each separate people but we make up one. We make up separate tribes, separate groups of the nation of Israel but we make up one nation of Israel. Okay, that was the alter of Kelm and that is the the uh for the day of Isman. Okay, moving along. Parshas Pasuk Zayin. Parshas moving along. Parental responsibility at the different ages Parshas Pasuk Zayin. Oh. Now we come to the Pesach Sheini. We alluded to it earlier that just like Aaron had aspiration and ambition, he didn't only want to kill it in gashmius, he wanted to kill it in ruchnius. You know, we have this notion of being mustapek b'muat. A person be able to be satisfied with little. We have a notion sameach b'chelko. Do we apply sameach b'chelko to ruchnius? Do we say be satisfied with your lot in spirituality? Or do we say no, break through barriers, push further, be ambitious, be driven, be competitiveness, be competitive when it comes to ruchnius, when it comes to the pursuit of the spiritual? Maybe we shouldn't be sameach b'chelko. We don't say my lot is to come late, leave early, have no kavana. We don't say my lot is to barely learn, not learn, or learn superficially. We don't say my lot, we say no, capable, I'm driven, I want more. That certainly is the tradition that we have from Aaron, the beginning of the parsha, and now that we have from those who were impure because they participated in the Pesach Sheini. Spoke about this in the past. They were carrying the bones of Yosef. Yosef is the king of second chances. He gives his brother a second chance. He gives Hashem a second chance. And therefore, they were given Klal Yisrael were given a second chance. That's the holiday of second chances, but it's also the holiday of lamah nigara? Why Hashem don't you trust me? So Parshas Pasuk Zayin, why should I lose out? Why should I be deprived? Vayidaberu el Moshe v'el Aharon benei Yisrael ish ish ki atumei nefesh b'derech rechoka So the people say Sorry, anachnu temeim. Parshas Pasuk Zayin, I already wrote the pasuk. Vayomru anachnu temeim elav. So these people tell Moshe, they confront him and they say anachnu temeim l'nefesh adam, lamah nigara? We're impure, we're contaminated. Why should we lose out? Why don't we get to play? Why don't we get to offer the sacrifice? Why? Why? So, Rashi here says, This story of Pesach Sheini, the notion of those who were contaminated, ineligible to participate in the first Pesach, and they were given the second Pesach, this law should have been introduced and taught by Mosha. However, instead of Mosha being the one to initiate and to capture and to communicate this law, it was done through this group of people. What was their merit? These people who couldn't bring the Pesach and they came to Mosha with this time. And Mosha asked Hashem, and Hashem taught Mosha. And a new halakha was introduced called Pesach Sheini. And Rashi says, Could it be done? There was another way out. Could have been taught through Mosha. It's because of this parsha, it's because of this conversation, because of this challenge and complaint that we every year have Pesach Sheini. But, what is Pesach Sheini? Something came about because of a few people. These were fringe. These were outliers. They were impure, they were contaminated, they couldn't participate. So, they were a fringe group of individuals, a fringe group of outliers. So, what why are we commemorating it? Each and every year we honor, we commemorate. We don't say Tachanun. Many have the minhag to eat matzah on Pesach Sheini. All because a group of individuals, all because of a group of outliers couldn't participate in the korban. Says Rav Zeidel Epstein, one of our fan favorites, Rav Zeidel Epstein, the Mashgiach of Torah Or, based on something Rav Zalman Kook writes in Pri Tzadik, that there's a big difference between Pesach Rishon and Pesach Sheini. Pesach Rishon Korban Pesach Rishon is top down. Pesach Rishon we are overwhelmed. Pesach Rishon we get this burst, this breakthrough of illumination, of enlightenment, of incredible, incredible insight. Torah tells us that even when we were in Egypt God carried us on on on eagle's wings. The Targum Yonasan in the possuk says he took us from Mitzrayim on the wings of eagles to Yerushalayim to offer the first korban. What a night is what a night of overwhelming light and breakthrough and redemption from above. Pesach Sheini is not top down. Pesach Sheini is bottom up. It's bottom up. Moshe says to who Moshe at first pushed them away. Moshe resisted them. Moshe was reluctant. Moshe said they're wrong logically, but they didn't agree. They refused to take no for an answer. They persevered, they pushed through, they were tenacious. Like Aaron in the beginning of the parsha, they refused to lose out, to miss out. We insist on saying what do you mean we're exempt? What do you mean we're out? What do you mean we're not entitled? And it's in their merit that we repeat it. This is the holiday of the yom tov of of never being satisfied, of not saying it's good enough, of not having good but striving for great. Striving for great, such a love, such a passion, such a commitment for Torah and mitzvahs we need to live and model and instill in our families and those around us that we have an attitude of what do you mean what do you mean I can't miss maariv for the minyan. I can't miss the tzedakah opportunity everybody else gave I want to give to it too. What do you mean the chesed chance? What do you mean the learning, the shiur? I want to be invited, I want to go. I want a chance. Every one of us. Lamani gara. It's the Yuntif of Lamani gara. Perek Tes, Pasuk Yud Zayin. Turn the page. 78 in the Artscroll Stone Chumash. Perek Tes, Pasuk Yud Zayin. Oh. I love this section. V'yom The cloud of glory covered the Mishkan. And that's how they knew to go. There are all kinds of flight delays and cancellations and challenges. It's so hard to travel today. How did Klal Yisrael know? You have all the people wait by the gate and they crowd the gate area and then they have mosaic cuz everybody spent the money on the credit card. They didn't do it the old-fashioned way by flying in a flight segments. And you have all the people who go on their wheelchairs who claim to not be able to walk on the way and the miracle in the sky 30,000 ft up, they are healed as soon as the plane lands, they don't need a wheelchair, they're able to run. Transportation is complicated and frustrating today. How did Klal Yisrael move around? How did they know? How did they know when it was their section? How did they know when they were called to board to travel, to journey, to take off? How did they know? So, the Pasuk tells us, Perek Tes, Pasuk Yud Zayin. Pasuk itself tells us. L'fi Hashem alos ha'anan me'al ha'ohel, that when the cloud was lifted from on top of the tent, v'acharei kein yis'u Bnei Yisrael. That's when the Jewish people knew it was time to go. Uv'im kamah sh'yishkon ha'anan, sham yachanu Bnei Yisrael. And where the cloud would rest, that's when they were meant to encamp. Did they know it was the time to go or was it time to stay? Afi Hashem yis'u Bnei Yisrael, v'afi Hashem yachanu. When Hashem said it was time to go, it's time to go. When Hashem said it's time to stop and to rest, it's time to stop and rest. Kol y'mei asher yishkon ha'anan al hamishkan, yachanu. All the days that the cloud would be on the Mishkan, that's when they would encamp. The Shulchan Aruch says in this Pasuk, we spoke about this on Shavuos. Our theme this past Shavuos was the Har Sinai Kabbalas ha'Torah Torah us ready for summer. All kinds of halachas of summer and travel and Seder and Hagomel and koshering barbecues and all kinds of things. I gave a sheer on the Torah perspective on vacation and leisure and recreation and time out. And we quoted the Shulchan Aruch the Shulchan Aruch writes so beautifully this possuk was talking not only to the generation of the desert that they would know to go and to stay based on the word of Hashem but it's talking to us. Our life is filled with the same journeys as the Jewish people. We go and we come. We're at home and we're on the road. We are in the middle of our routine and we take a break and we go on vacation. And the key says the Shulchan Aruch the core is Ap Hashem Yiso Veap Hashem Yachanu. We don't leave religion in the shul of the Beis Medrash. Religion doesn't stay at home and not come with us on the road but rather wherever we are whenever we are Ap Hashem. Ap Hashem. There's nothing wrong with taking time. There's nothing wrong with taking a vacation. There's nothing wrong with needing a break. There's nothing wrong with recreation. We had big big lots and lots of maran makom lots of sources to show not only there's nothing wrong but it's our responsibility to the healthy mind and a healthy body and a healthy soul. And one needs to find that space but you could do it in excess. Person could play golf and tennis and mahjong too much. Person could take too many vacations. Person could sleep too much. How do we know that right balance? How do we know how much? Says the Shulchan Aruch Ap Hashem Yiso Veap Hashem Yachanu. Hashem comes with us. Is our vacation a Torah dikka vacation? Melo ha'aretz kinyanecha. The whole world is filled. Simple understanding of the possuk Melo ha'aretz kinyanecha means that Hashem you own the only entire world. You've made a kinyan and you have acquired the entire world is yours. But the alternative understanding is Melo ha'aretz kinyanecha. It means the whole world is filled with opportunities to come close to you. Melo ha'aretz the entire world is filled kinyanecha ways that we can make a kinyan we can acquire you. Kadosh Baruch Hu we could find you in the plane and on the cruise, we could find you in the sneer, stick, or beach, or hike. Kodesh Baruch Hu, we can find you in the recreational activity that we're doing. We meant for it to be a spiritual activity. When we're home or when we're on the road, we can find you if it's Hashem. Gemara Shabbos tells us the following. Omar Ulla K'sava Rabbi Yosi is the beautiful Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz. I don't remember if I said it before, but it bears repeating and saying again, it's so beautiful. Along the same lines as the Shulchan Aruch, the Gemara Shabbos tells us that one of the 39 Melachos of creative labor is one of the acts of creative labor is sose. You're not allowed to demolish or destroy. You can't deconstruct sose. When do you violate the biblical prohibition of sose? When is it a biblical prohibition of demolishing? When it is sose al menas livnos, when you destroy on condition to build. Just like you're only liable for erasing if you plan to write on that spot, you're only liable for destroying when you plan to build on that spot. And the Gemara concludes that you're only sose al menas livnos b'oso makom. If you destroy as a precondition to be able to rebuild and renovate in the same spot, that's the biblical prohibition. If you destroy and you abandon, you don't plan on rebuilding there, it's rabbinically permitted but not biblically prohibited. Frankly, Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz asks the great Mashgiach of the Yeshiva of the Mir in his Sichos Mussar, "One does Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz I don't understand. It has to be dumya d'Mishkan. We learn out the 39 categories of creative labor. What's creative labor that we have to abstain and refrain from on Shabbos? We learn from whatever was deemed whatever it was determined to be creative labor to build the Mishkan, a house for Hashem. It has to be dumya d'Mishkan for the Malacha to be biblically prohibited. The Av Malacha is similar to the way it was done in the Mishkan. The Mishkan wasn't sose al menas livnos in the same place. In the Mishkan, we took apart the Mishkan in order to rebuild. But not to rebuild in the same place, to rebuild in the next place. So, how could it be? How could you learn how could you possibly learn so some of us live in us as a melacha from the Mishkan when it's not similar to the Mishkan? So, Rav Shmuel gives a mashal. He gives a beautiful metaphor. He says, you know, imagine a mother with a baby travels. Whether it's for family simchas, personal vacation, business. The mother with this tiny little baby, this tiny little infant, travels all over the world. Australia, South Africa, the Far East, United States, West Coast, East Coast, of course Eretz Yisrael. Travels all over. When the mother returns, her passport will be stamped each of those locations, each of those countries, each of those continents. But if you ask the baby, "Where were you?" the baby will answer, "In my mother's arms." This mother, literally or figuratively, wore a Baby Bjorn or carried the baby in her arms or stroller. But the baby, from the baby's perspective, while the baby may be geographically was all over the world, the baby feels I was in my mother's arms all along. Says Rav Chaim Shmulevitz, "When we were in the Mishkan, wherever the Mishkan was, we were in Hashem's arms. Ap Hashem yisovu, ap Hashem yachanu. We're in Hashem's embrace, we're in Hashem's vicinity. We are in place that Hakadosh Baruch Hu is embracing and loving and affectionately holding us wherever we are." So, therefore, the Mishkan is the exception that even though geographically it may have moved, that was so some of us lived in us in the same place because we were in Hashem's arms. We were b'cheik imi. We were in Hashem's arms all the time, all the time. And that says Rav Chaim Shmulevitz, that's the pasuk in Yirmiyahu that we say in the Yamim Noraim. K'am Hashem zacharti chesed neurayich. Hashem, we remember the chesed. Hashem says, "I remember the chesed avas kulosaich lechteichah acharei bamidbar b'eretz lo zarua." Ki yisrael b'tzel Hashem baruch Hu. We were in the shade, the shadow, in the embrace of Hashem. We were invested entirely in our relationship with him. We felt entirely protected from his shade, from his shadow. We were under his wings. Even if we went from place to place, it's as if we were in the same place. The Hashem Yisahu. When a person, every step they take, every decision they make, every behavior, every pivot, every turn, am I moving? Am I taking this job? Should I marry this girl? Am I taking which school should every decision Hashem Yisahu, the Hashem Yahanu. When is the time to move on? When is the time to settle down? What is the right decision? It has to be Hashem. I'm in his embrace. I am reporting and I am accountable to him. And therefore, no matter where, no matter what, we're always in his arms, and that's why it was legitimate and acceptable and understandable to learn the Halacha from there. Perek Yud, Pasuk Beis. Moving right along, we're still talking about the traveling. How do we know to travel? Like the Beshem Moshe anymore? When they would summon, when they would call the entire people to Moshe, or that it was time to break up the camp, we're about to hit the road, everybody to the gate. Stop buying overpriced water bottles and hummus containers that don't have enough pretzels proportional to the hummus in them in the airport store. They're boarding, it's time to go. How would they alert everyone it was time to go? They would blow the chatzotzros, they would blow the silver trumpets. They would blow the silver trumpets. The Torah says, Ase l'cha shnei chatzotzros kesef. Make two silver chatzotzros. Ase l'cha, the word ase is understandable, you have to make. But what does it say, l'cha? Make what? For yourself. Says Rashi, ase l'cha, make for yourself, ata oseh You make these chatzotzros, they're good for you. They're not good for anyone else. These were for Moshe's exclusive use. He's out as a king. These trumpets were his. They were hidden right before Moshe's death, and even Yehoshua, even Moshe's most loyal servant, Moshe's most loyal successor, most loyal student, even Yehoshua did not know where they were. Why? Why did the chatzotzros need to be individually to Moshe? Why was it "aseh l'cha" not "aseh"? Not just make or fashion them, but "aseh l'cha", make for you. Why did Moshe need his own? Why did they need to be different than everybody else? Why did they need to be different than everybody else? So, many say this. Rav Herschel Schachter says it among others. That the reason is every generation needs their own chatzotzros. When you want to call the aidah, when you gather the people, when you want to move people, when you want to inspire people, when you want to transform people, when you want to move people, when it's time to move, when you want to pivot, when you want to change, when you want to grow, when you want to break out, every generation has its own language. Every generation has its own vocabulary. Every generation has its own address. Some people live online, some people live offline. The chatzotzros to reach the people online, how do we bring Torah? And how do we challenge people to grow spiritually, religiously, to be better and best versions of themselves? You have to go ba'asher hu sham. And so, the means, the tools, the vehicle, the instrument, the language, the vocabulary to reach people in every generation will change. And that's why it was chatzotzros "aseh l'cha". Moshe, these chatzotzros, they work for you. But you know, taf shin pei bet in 2022, when there'll be something called the internet, maybe social media, every community has different means, and people live in different places, but we have different vocabulary and different ways we connect, different styles of minyanim, and different approaches, and different creative ways that we are going to reach people who respond differently. Every generation, says Rav Herschel Schachter, needs their own even the very next generation of Yeshua couldn't use the of Moshe. The vocabulary, the language has to change. The way that we reach people, the programming, the activity, it changes. So, when it comes to Torah, we don't say that's not the way we used to do it. It's not the way it was done before. Every generation, within reason, under the guidance, supervision, under the approval of our stroll of every generation, we have to explore what are our what language, what tools, what vehicle, what works for us, and what should we be using, how can we get the message across for our generation. Maybe so yeah, we have time quickly maybe. We know it was a separate one else. And those who says they were like young children, the bell goes off reading schools over in Florida, almost over in New York. Schools over, kids are counting down when that last bell rings, they will not walk, they will run. Excited that school's over, they'll run away, and that's the way we were. That's what says that we ran away from our Sinai 3 days. 3 days the writes let's get out. Get out with 613 before he gives us more. Let's get out, let's break out, let's get away. One deserves a second of the day in his beautiful I'm grateful to his grandson for giving it to me. wonders I don't understand. This is the same I thought they board and they and they get off the plane all based on the instruction of them. So, if they traveled and they journey those 3 days because told them to. So, now we're going to hold them accountable? Now we're going to disparage them? Now we're going to talk about them like they were children running away from school? I thought they only traveled based on the guidance and approval and direction of number one. Number two Hazal calls this generation that mother called this because measured and evaluated all the generations says the Yalkut Shimoni in Habakkuk and he found the only generation worthy of receiving his Torah with this generation in the desert. So, these are such a lofty generation that they deserve receiving the Torah. Such a lofty generation to get the Torah and yet we're disparaging them now by saying they ran away. How could it be? So, R' Zeid Lefton has a beautiful insight and he says yeah, they left because Hashem said to left to leave. Apieshem yisau apieshem yachanu. If they left, it's only because Hashem said to go because otherwise they wouldn't go, they couldn't go. They followed the direction of Hashem and they weren't such a high level. Where did they go wrong here? Hashem said to leave. Now, when shul is over, when shul is over, it's legitimately over. You don't have to stay in shul longer than it's over. When the shiur is over and the parsha shiur finally ends, you don't have to listen, you don't have to watch, you don't have to stay longer than it is going on or taking place. The question is not whether it's legitimate to leave. Question is, how do you feel about leaving? Do you say, "Ugh, I wish it were still going. I wish it never ended. I was enjoying that so much. I felt so elevated and enriched. I feel so empowered. I feel so connected. I wish it never end." Or do we say, "Thank God. So happy it's over. It couldn't be over soon enough." The issue is not that they left because Hashem told them to leave. The issue is, what is the attitude that we have? What is the attitude? Again, this is a theme of our parsha. We saw it at the beginning with Aaron Shalosh Regalim. We saw it with the Pesach Sheni and L'man Nigara and now we see the Klal Yisrael held accountable not for leaving and not for the journey, but for the attitude they had on it. They exhaled, they were relieved, they were grateful it was over rather than being disappointed and wanting it to continue to go. Okay, last. Perek Yud Aleph Pasuk Aleph. Last insight and we saved maybe the best for last. This is a gevaldik gishmak a gishmak Torah. Perek Yud Aleph. The next And uh pass out. Hey, we got to miss out on them. I have so much to say about this. Miss out on them hit by L. They were not complaining and they were a nation a group of complainers. Hashem heard it got really angry. Moshi Davins, you know the routine been there done that before. Zacharani, what do they complain? Zacharani said that I should not have been in the time of Kanam. We remember the fish that we ate for free in Egypt and we remember the Kishuim after Avatihim. We remember these uh vegetables that we had and the onions that we had and the garlic that we had and we remember and we remember. Rashi here says, we remember the fish we got in Mitzrayim Kanam for free. What is Kanam? Kanam means not the fish were free but Kanam mean Hamitzvos. Ah, we remember before Hashem I we could eat we could do we could enjoy we could experience we could um have intimacy with whoever we wanted whenever we wanted. And then we got the Torah and it limited us. It put such boundaries and borders. They weren't complaining that the fish was free. They were remembering nostalgically when they were free. Free from Mitzvos Kanam Mitzvos. Wonders the Maggid Yosef for Yosef Saratskin. Wonders the Maggid Yosef. Even if they longed for being free but still what is this connected to the mun? Here they're complaining about the mun. The taste, it's bore, it's texture. They're complaining about the mun. What does the mun have to do with complaining or remembering nostalgically when they didn't have Mitzvos? Good. And why fish? That's what they're longing for. Meat. No offense to Rabbi Maslow who loves salmon. No offense to people who love fish. It's all about the meat. It's all about a good piece of flesh. So why are they recalling nostalgically the fish that it was free? Rabbi Bachya has a long discussion of this. But listen to what he says the Maggid Yosef. Fascinating insight. He says, where do you see the difference of a holy and an unholy person? Where does our Jewish identity really shine and show?" In the way that we eat. We eat with holiness. We gave a whole sheer, you could find it on our YouTube channel. We gave a whole sheer about the Jewish perspective or attitude towards eating. Eating is one of the holiest activities we do because we need to eat to live, which means that all that we eat is Hashem's way of entering us to give us chiyus, to give us life. So, do we have a mindfulness? Are we present? Do we eat what's kosher? Do we make a bracha before and after? Do we eat healthy amounts? Eating is part of our worship and service of Hashem. Eating is a holy activity. That's what we say. We're challenged. We're tempted to not eat in a holy way. Set a table before me naked so rare I. When we sit before our set table, we're before our enemies. The enemy is saying, "Indulge. Eat instinctively, impulsively. Overeat and healthily. Don't be grateful. Don't become a bracha. Don't be present. Don't be mindful." We're naked so rare I when tar with on a shulchan. That's why it's called lechem milchama. Bread comes from war. We're at war when we're eating. We're struggling to elevate. They were pursuing a spiritual life. But they thought Torah would only address their spirituality. They didn't realize that Torah would have something to say to their physical being. What does Torah have to say with my food? What does Torah have to say about how I eat? Torah is for shul, the way I daven. Torah is for the way I learn. How I eat? That's personal. It's secular. It's mundane. It's profane. They didn't accept that. They didn't accept that. Eating is a place of great taiva. Eating is a place, one of the places that we confront our greatest appetite. The word appetite is applied most in the world of eating. We have an appetite. We have a drive. We have a temptation. That's what they longed for. That's what they longed for. Why did they long for fish? Why was the fish free? So then it says, you know why? Cuz fish there's no shchita and no melicha. There are very few laws of kashrut fish. With an animal or chicken, you have to shecht and you have to inspect and you have to make sure it's not a treifa and you have to salt it and remove all of its blood. Fish, if it's a species that's kosher, fish you club it on its head, catch it with a hook in its mouth, and you're good to go. Doesn't have to be slaughtered in a certain way and it doesn't have to be shechted in a certain way and there's no trummus and meisrus and challah. Ubasar ton shchita u'manas kohuna. Meat has slaughtering and there are gifts from the meat that you give to the kohein and fruit have bikurim and trummus and meisrus. Only fish is free and that's why they longed for fish. The reason there's a connection between the mun and longing for fish and remembering when they were free of mitzvahs is because free of mitzvahs means they wanted to be free of the gashmius mitzvahs. Free of the mitzvahs that speak to even how we eat and having to curtail our appetite for food and our appetite for other forms of temptation in life. That's what they were complaining about. That was the source of their complaint then. That's what we need to be careful and avoid in our complaint now. It's been wonderful. Next week again, we're only online, streaming live. Uh join us again partial perspectives Tuesday morning 9:30. If you've not yet signed up again, one and one campaign beerschicago.org/oneandone. Dollar a day of stucker with daily giving, minute of day's Torah learning. As the Moskowitzes have it,