Parsha Perspectives For Today (Matos-Masei, 5783) - Above Board

okay good morning Bogota welcome back to partial perspectives for today we have a double whammy double Parsha as we finish up the book of babidbar a double it's the theme of the week Parsha series is generously sponsored by Becky and other cats and family in memory of David Grossman our learning should be Lila nishma's we remain incredibly grateful to the Grossman to the Grossman and Katz family for their generosity we are on page 900 parishes Matos and then we will hopefully please have time please God have time to get into Masa as well Hashem Moshe spoke to the heads of the tribes of the Jewish people and he said this is the thing that Hashem has commanded some of the person are bothered we're not going to get into where did Hashem command Moshe seems to be initiating this mitzvahir the laws of the Durham but where was it commanded from Hashem they get into it a person makes an oath to establish a Prohibition upon himself and nedder is a very very powerful thing it reminds us of the power of speech of the power of language right now a piece of pork is not Kosher if I eat it I'm liable if I eat it there are consequences it is categorically non-kosher on the other hand potato chips are perfectly kosher Cape Cod has the OU it's kosher but in nether is my ability to say hurray alive these potato chips should be forbidden to me and when I say those words they're not empty they're not meaningless I have the capacity I have the ability through the words that I use to transforms transform that which was inherently permissible and to make it forbidden it's the power of language the power of speech not only can Hashem from above determine and dictate what is forbidden and what is permissible but I we through the language we use through our words that is the power of language that is the power of our words our words impact and they create reality that's part of the message of partials we remember it each and every year the power of our words explained that is why the holiest night of the year Yom Kippur Night We Gather even though it's night the only time of the year we wear a Talus will wear a kitto we come together we're already fasting and how do we launch how do we initiate how do we begin this holiest 25-hour period of the year we say colne Drake and if you ever looked at the translation of kolnidre you say to yourself seriously this is it this is the proclamation this is the exclamation this is what we're singing I won't uh put on my desk voice to sing kolnidre for you now I'll spare you even though it is the three weeks and it would add to your sense of grief but I'll spare you nonetheless hasn't built out and arguably among the most moving and stirring Tunes Liturgy of the whole yamanora in Period Kom nidre and if you read it in the English all my vowels and all my Oaths and all my promises should be annulled we're going through some detailed process and procedure of reversing and annulling vows that's how you launch the holiest day of the year said yes absolutely you know why because what is Yom Kippur if not a day to reflect and to take responsibility for how we've used and abused the power of language the promises we made and didn't keep and the promises we'll make now for the year ahead will we follow through and before we engage a 25-hour period of using our words through that Master reflecting on the promises and pledges past and the sincerity of the promises and pledges we're about to make before we use our words we remember the power of words that words create reality that we with our words we make a Nether and we change a reality and that's what is if we take another Yeshua the difference between the two and gavra does it apply to the object or does it apply to the person but both tells us don't make your words profane what is we say Friday we say we end Shabbos the opposite bookend of kiddish we say we distinguish between that which is holy and that which is profane our words the reality we create is Holy when you don't fulfill a promise when you say you're going to be there at a certain time and you come late when you say I'll call you back and you don't call back when you say don't worry I'll click the link I'll make the donation I'll join the global community and you don't you've taken your word your Deborah creates a Dava our words create reality and instead of creating a positive reality we've turned them into Hulen we've made them profane we've made them Unholy lo you have to mean what you say and follow through on your word and your word is your bond it means something our sense of punctuality our sense of following through it all has to mean something tells us the laws in the dark don't only apply to men there is and if a woman takes a vow it depends if she's a child in her father's home he has the capacity to annul The Vow if they're married and the her vow affects her husband her father husband has the ability to undo and to annul the vowel tells us now normally for a vow to take effect for a boy to be a man is what age not a trick question 13 years old a boy becomes a man becomes a god little cotton becomes a girl at 13 that's the bar mitzvah that's when Mitzvahs apply and that's when the laws in the Durham kick in but a girl the mishna tells us is earlier we check we evaluate the quality of her promise Rashi says does she know to whom she's making this promise does she understand the significance how binding it is the consequence that goes with it from 12 Years then they are binding bench demonstrations that's what Rashi says looks and wonders why are a girl's vows binding before the age of a boy one could ask in general why a girl is a gedola before a boy becomes a godo the girls basmitz is celebrated at 12 years old a boy is born this was not marked until he's 13 years old there's several reasons offered having to do with physical maturity and the age of Godless reflecting the capacity to conceive to parent to Bear responsibility to a girl is earlier but the other reason the gemara says is gives a woman a young woman has greater Insight wisdom intuition morbina than a than a man than a boy we know that because by even a satella women were created from man's rib it doesn't mean as we think man was fully fashioned then woman was extracted but the medrus tells us there was an androgynous figure half man half woman divided split in half but the image that the Torah uses to tell us this is a woman with fashioned she was built by even should have said formed or created why they even built because the Lush and even to build is Bina yasera greater wisdom greater Insight women have greater Insight greater wisdom greater intuition greater Instinct um women girls mature cognitively intellectually faster than boys they can understand faster all you have to do is go into a middle school classroom that has boys and girls watch the way the two behave and you will see any teachers here any retired teachers here boys are first fully fashioning they're not yet even fully created human beings and girls with the pen and the notebook and they're listening and they're scribbling and that's a generalization but it's true and it's complementary to young women so you're allowed to say it without being canceled although if you just distinguish maybe you're in trouble but girls they mature not only physically faster in terms of conception but they mature intellectually emotionally cognitively create a world where women in fact mature faster so the rambam writing is commentary on the mishnah on the Ebenezer rights similarly that this is what the rambam writes also Gill and gave us when it comes to nadarama Parsha girls their word is binding earlier than a boy because they mature faster and are capable of bearing the consequence the responsibility the understanding of the value of their word why because girls women have a shorter lifespan than men we've mentioned this drama Miss perishamas before is that true women of a shorter lifespan than men and that is why their life is sort of Consolidated or condensed they physically mature faster and intellectually mature festival and the Ebenezer as well is that true the answer is it was true and why was it true largely because women died in childbirth but it's no longer true today 2021 the average life expectancy of women this is in Israel in America it's shorter but in Israel it's longer you want to live longer yet another reason to make Aliyah women live 84.6 years and Men live 80.5 years why do men die before their wives I won't finish it the off chance that my wife is listening I will not finish it but women have in fact the opposite of what the Rama and even as a right women today today thank god with breakthrough and the miracle that we should never take for granted healthy pregnancy and healthy childbirth were both a child or children and mother emerge healthy that's why a woman benches go milk it was life-threatening that's why a woman should not induce unless medically mandated medically indicated just because the woman is sick and tired of being pregnant or this birthday works out better is not grounds the bear emotion the truth is bear Moshe writes when a woman is in labor she's in a life-threatening situation when Hashem puts you there then you're there but you can't be there on your own you don't induce unless medically unless medically informed so women died for all of history and therefore had a shorter lifespan than men today it's the reverse women live longer in America neither men nor women it's still in the late 70s it hasn't yet passed A.D in Israel 84.6 years 80.5 for men why is that very interesting it's not the purpose of partial perspectives but they're physiological differences between men and women heart disease and uh chromosomes number two women take care of their health better than men it turns out they take much better care of themselves they also have social relationships one of the things that accelerates death is loneliness and women who are social and out and talking and schmoozing it in fact helps protect and preserve Better Health and longer life and men who are Hermits and want to live alone in a cave that might feel better in the moment but it's not good for their health and other such differences some biology other differences in a fascinating article I want to get into who drives better and whatever that would not account for women living longer than men in my experience in my experience but in any case that is I raised it because it should make us incredibly grateful that unlike in their time today it is reversed because the blessing and the blessed time that we live moving right along in the laws of the Durham then we go over to we're taking revenge for what happened with Midian Midian the curse was unsuccessful but the uh provocative promised promiscuity was brought a Great Plague Jewish people suffered so Hashem says it's time I don't get even I don't get angry I get even but the best Hashem spoke to motion he said take revenge against the children of the Jewish people take Vengeance for the children of the Jewish people take revenge against Midian for what they did by the way right afterwards this is the last Act of leadership of your life because right afterwards do this last thing and then you'll be gathered to your people then you will die it'll be the end of your life it's like Hashem several places here at the end of the tower at the end of moshe's life Hashem gives like a shickle Zinger it gives them a little bit of a reminder you're not going in it's all over it's time but Hashem is loving and kind and Moshe is his most loyal servant why would Hashem do that it's an excellent question for another time but why do I raise it because here's the amazing thing before she'll point out moshrabin was just informed do this last Act of services last Act of leadership and then when it's done you're done what would you do if that was you take your time delay savor it come up with excuses why it's taking so long you would be um is the word I'm looking for you'd procrastinate what is he runs he rushes with Zeal with alacrity with energy with enthusiasm it never wanes he never slows he never tires and he understands that whatever is the will of Hashem is what he's meant to be doing then and no matter the consequence no matter what would kick in when he was done it never impacted him to slow down he just kept going and going and going so the posix says in this context Moshe responds in the affirmative and he says let's get going it's time to identify and recruit people for the Army and we're going to inflict hashem's Vengeance against Midian so another great question which we won't address together I thought to come as us sir you're not allowed to take revenge that's good for us but not good for God that's hashem's expectation of us but not of Hashem we can't take revenge she can over and over here in the community and we're going Hashem is going to take Revenge Revenge Revenge how do you reconcile that again question for you to consideration a thousand from a tribe A Thousand from a tribe you should separate this is an amazing three thousand soldiers were recruited and identified from each tribe twelve thousand in order to go fight the war elephant so why do we repeat it's redundant a thousand from each tribe a thousand from each tribe why do we repeat the expression the phrase says the medrusless because in fact for every thousand that were recruited to carry a weapon to be on the front line to wage war to protect the people there were thousand designated to dive in on their behalf elephant in order that there was one thousand for each thousand that went out and The Madras is very wondrous says after Hashem gave his consent thumbs up green light you got this I'll have your back I'll be by your side you'll be triumphant and Victorious you'll come home having won so if we know going in that we're going to win why do you need to Daven Hashem already told you the outcome so why do you have to Daven you already told you you're going to win even when a person is confident even when a person knows they're going to emerge Victorious they're going to win they're going to have what they want the result that they crave even when Hashem is Promised through the consultation of the urum lawyers even when you know the outcome you have to dive in nonetheless because the outcome is dependent on the davening the davening is the key that opens the Treasure House from which the chef abraha from which the flow comes from above so I've given you this metaphor before you could have the winning Mega Millions ticket which I think is up to some 700 million or something again or maybe there was a winner last night tonight I don't know when it is 10 to the shield don't forget you could hold the winning ticket but unless you turn it in you can't get the cash prize if you have that ticket and it sits in your wallet and your safety deposit box you can have all the numbers you could tell everyone you won but your bank account remains empty unless you turn in the ticket davening is the ticket it's true there's a designation we won Hashem has set aside and allocated Chef abrocca for us in our lives how do we access it how do we get it it only gets wired to us when we Daven davening is the key that opens the door that releases the bracha that's been designated for us and you see that here says because they consulted the urban tournament they knew the outcome of the war Hashem sent them to go avenge take revenge for him and despite it all elephant there was one for each a thousand to fight and a thousand to Daven for those who fought cook foreign guest in our community very special person several years ago in one of the wars with Gaza he actually launched a program where you'd sign up to get a name of a soldier in the IDF and you would dive in for that Soldier and he quoted this if you're not in the Army there's no excuse that you're not dominating for the Army and not generically davening for the Army but get a soldier's name and Daven for that Soldier that's your soldier Ella flamata Ella flamata for every thousand who serve there are a thousand who have their names in Daven specifically for them because it's davening that opens the lock that opens the door that releases the bracha even when it's promised and even when we know it is going to come good moving along with days next peric IAL abuse I'll tell you what we're skipping Moshe rebukes the officers they spoiler alert they win and in the spoiler alert you get the spoils when you win they collect The Spoils of the war and what was included in the spoils of the war interesting you got to come home with a gift for your spouse when you go on a business trip you have to come home with a gift for your spouse I think one of the first missions I ran when I was yet the assistant Rabbi my mother told me two pieces of advice when I came home she said number one you're going to be exhausted your barely slept you ran around don't complain to your wife how tired you are because you left her with the kids she's more tired than you that was good advice number one you remember that Ma number two bring a gift come home with something so I was in the airport and I remembered I didn't get a gift so I found the jewelry store in the airport there was I think it was called H Stern and I found something and I came home and my wife I don't think was ever as angry at me as she was to hear that I bought something at H Stern in the airport and paid that price for a piece of jewelry she found a place H Stone in Miami returned it but you have to come home with a gift you have to come home with a gift so what are the what are the Army come home with after the war with Midian there was no jewelry store in median but to the Victor go the spoils so they went into the kitchen of the midianites and they found the bread maker and they found the George Foreman grill and they found incredible crystal in China and silverware and they came home with gifts but what's the problem with these gifts they're used what do you need to do to them before you could use them you have to capture them the Torah here has includes in it the laws of caution is all that is derived from our parasha from this we've discussed them in the past go on the previous Parsha shiram and you'll find beautiful descriptions in this Calum why why do we have to convert our Kalin by bringing them to the Mikvah how does kashuring work and what is the analog how does that relate to capturing ourselves listen to previous years partial class divided the spoils among the tribes and then we have a detailed description of it para climate-based plastic offer on page 910 in the art scroll Stone Hamish um among the 12 tribes two tribes happen to be incredibly entrepreneurial we're phenomenal business people and they had a lot of mcnairav they had abundant livestock the entrepreneur is always looking how they can do well where can their animals graze where can they set up shop where is the business opportunity inflation is at an incredible High you know which state is the highest inflation in the country you guessed it State of Florida here we're not happy to be number one many other ways we are but not inflation but smart shrewd business people even see a economic downturn and find opportunity business people are always looking by the way if you're one of those people and you have the opportunity let me know offline but if you find the opportunity so Benet God and Benet Ruben were such people everyone else is looking look at the mountains look at the clouds look at the view look at our freedom beneath and say oh that land is perfect for grazing our livestock we could expand our Holdings we can sell make money we can go public always looking they've got the the business cup and they see a land that's perfect so they approached the leaders and they say got a proposal for you a Taurus we found these cities these areas they're perfect for livestock and guess who's got livestock we've got abundant livestock we've got incredible portfolio of livestock I know the plan we're all supposed to go into the land I know we're supposed to travel as a group but is it okay if we break away do you mind if we set up shop East of the yarding east of the Arden and what's moshe's reaction what does Moshe say are you crazy your brothers are going to go risk their lives and go to war and be at the front lines of securing the destiny of the Jewish people and you are going to sit comfortably here because there's better business opportunity because you can make more money because it's more comfortable and more convenient are you crazy are you crazy that's what you're going to do you're going to dissuade the heart of the Jewish people from crossing the land how are they going to feel what are they going to think when they see you remain behind and they see you sit back foreign that's not what you saw in your ancestors got angry and you've got to come and he enters this condition I'll tell you what if you come with us and you first enter the land then you can come back and you can settle here and who are the ones who approach him beneath it's not a trick question and what is moshrabena do whom does he include also Menasha would Menasha come in they didn't ask and all of a sudden Moshe divides them and sends half of Menasha in with the remaining God why'd he do that and why specifically Menasha and what's going on here in this conversation they had a lot of abundant livestock atsuma mode great in numbers great in numbers what was his criticism he wasn't criticizing their lack of sionut where's your love and longing to go into the land he was questioning their loyalty seems selfish you have better business opportunity so you're staying here everyone else has the risk they're live so what did remain in God do they clarify no no no no Moshe we weren't going to sit back comfortably of course we're gonna put on the uniform we're gonna take the gun we're gonna drive the tank of course don't worry we'll set up our business here we'll build pens for our flock cities for our children and then we're coming with you samosha says you're partly right I'll give you permission to inhabit the land east of the yardan on a condition on a tonight and what is it first you enter the land and then you come back but Moshe does something very subtle he reverses he says build cities for your children and set a flocks for your cattle and come fight with us they said first we'll build flocks for our cattle in cities for our children the main point is they agree to come fight when Moshe confirms it he repeats the part of the pen in the cities that seems so tangential but when you read the section carefully It all becomes clear it's a very powerful Mission that's what I love why I like to review it what was their original reason they Advanced they saw the land the east of the yardan and they thought it'd be perfect to advance their business needs Eric's McKnight it's a land of livestock and we have a great livestock business responds he is confirmed they'll come fight but he gives them a subtle muscle by reversing they said we'll build pens for our flock and then we'll build cities for our children and Moshe rabena reverses the order now he knew that Reuben and God valued their children what parent doesn't love their children but their financial ambition made them sound like they valued their money even more than their children not only did they prioritize where to live based on financial interest over spiritual ones but they talked about taking care of their assets before they spoke about taking care of their own children the Metro share on this Parsha elaborates they were more concerned about their money than their sons and daughters because they put their flock ahead of their children it's not right the main thing has to be the main thing and the secondary the secondary your children come first they're the top priority now interestingly the majors calls children what so the metrics calls our children primary icker and our assets our business interests tefl secondary Reuben and God aren't criticized for accumulating material things they're not criticized or condemned for having professional or career ambition what are they criticized for confusing what is primary and what is secondary there's nothing wrong with having ambition and drive of wanting to have abundant livestock there's nothing wrong with achieving material success what's wrong is not understanding what's primary and what's secondary is not understanding and appreciating that our children and our family that our souls and our spirituality it all comes first that all that material success and all that ambition is a platform to be able to elevate and to drive our spirituality our family our continuity our future and our Legacy that's what it's all there for they're not criticized for ambition they're criticized for confusing and having the wrong priorities described as having mcnairav he doesn't get this criticism anyone know who it is who had mcnairav avram avinu the avram caved mahod the McNair the kessef um avram was very late and he had abundant livestock silver and gold the nahi explains that with aframe it first mentions his name and the fact that he had mikne his wealth and assets aren't descriptions of his essence or identity they're simply part of his life who am I I'm a yid I learned Torah I do mitos I get stuck I volunteer for I love my family and I pass these priorities On to the Next Generation oh I also happen to have a lot of money or a nice house or a nice car or nice jewelry but that's not who I am it's not my identity when it comes to avram avinu it says what the avram cafe what appears first his name he's in the shama he happens to have a lot of things who is he he's avram who has a lot of things how does it appear in our parisha um it says first the things and then their names because they Define themselves by their things you know who I am my car collection my jewelry my portfolio my companies my assets my net worth that's me they confused their net worth with who they were that's how they valued themselves they saw their materialism as an ends onto itself instead of a means they got it upside down and inside out and that's what Moshe Rabino is being critical of he's not criticizing that they have nice things he's criticizing icker icker and tuffle tuffo that they got it backwards they got it upside down they got it wrong they got it wrong now it's interesting Russia comments too the banega river were more concerned about their assets than their sons and daughters and that's why Moshi gives them the subtle subtle muster now it's interesting there's another difference into the two statements how beneath formulated and how much should have been in response to them this is Rochelle alter the garage points out they say they want to build Poe here they come and they say can we build Poe east of the Arden when Moshe responds he says build for yourselves physical cities and buildings of bricks and mortars are also in the larger picture only temporary the primary focus is on the Eternal you must invest in your children and such an approach to life Moshe Rabino concludes right that's how he concludes now make a deal condition in fact in halacha we call conditions if a person wants to make a condition the transaction the business deal in halacha they have to formulate and articulate the transaction the condition the same way Reuben and God did tonight all the ways that they did it we have to do it how does moshrabenu conclude he says I'll make you the deal I'll make you the deal you come fight then you go back to my couple to hang and so on and then he concludes this section he turns to them and he says that which leaves your mouths tasu carry out you have to do this words these three words this is it's not just about your words it's not about your instruction it's about our example whatever leaves your mouth carry out you need to teach by demonstration by doing it in your own behavior if you want to influence a child it's not just words or lip service they have to see what we do and that's what we're saying and all this that you place on your heart first the words have to be on your own heart then teach them to your children how do you sit in your home how do you go on the way it's the time of year many go on vacation so on vacation do you also find Dominion to also keep kosher to also make time to learn to also carry yourself as a mensch with their carrots to also observe the laws of modesty how do we teach not with our words and not with what the teachers say in school for all those dollars how how we carry ourselves and how we conduct ourselves and that's why Moshe concludes the section and he tells them whatever you say You must do they have to see later on those taken by Bennett ruvain they say tapena Nash they switched from Poe to Sham they hadn't changed locations why'd they switch Poe originally the deal was Poe then it became sham why'd they switch at first from the top of the list of priorities with material possessions they felt connected they said Poe after accepting they focused on the rookness and they felt removed from the place they referred to it as their they went from Poe to Sham two changes in the formulation and they learn from both they formulate it one way Moshe switches it and when they answer they adopt Moshe rabenu both of Moshe rabino's changes why because they get the subtle Musser from Moshe rubbing paraglam in base Dallas is for this request he says you've risen up you've risen up you've taken over the place you are good successors you know you're following the model of your forefathers bad people why were they bad people who was he referring to The Mirage you are walking in the footsteps of the miraglam you had the wrong you had the wrong Role Models where do you know this how do you know this the targum look at the targum right here is supposed to get dolled Target says you've risen from the place of your forefathers as talmudim of Sinners Hashem tell me them these two tribes written in God they were never students of the monogram they never overlapped with them why does Moshe Rabe know tell them they're coming at the end of the 40 years were at the beginning of the 40 years they didn't overlap they didn't sit in the classroom they were in habrases of theirs according to the targum's taich the translation why are we identifying these as the students the talmudem of whom they didn't meet they didn't see they didn't overlap with says listen to this insight he says make no mistake every action we do in this world causes us to have students we all are students whether you're in whether you're a teacher a professor whether you're a mother or a rebe every one of us has students our students are the world who's watching the world is watching our colleagues our peers those who report to us at work the people at the supermarket the gym on the road in our home our neighbors our nieces and nephews in life people are watching and learning from our behavior and our choices and our actions and even when we don't sense it even when we aren't aware of it even when we don't feel it even when we don't sign up to be anybody's role model we always are and we have to be acutely aware of it came with an ask and an argument they didn't mention they didn't invoke well I learned from my teacher I learned from my rebbe I learned from my professor they didn't invoke Any teacher they simply had a request and Moshe lashes out at them and what does he say oh I see your talmudum of the maraglam tamidam of the maraglam they say what are you talking about we never took their class we were never in their sheer what do you mean tell me them of them the answer is he says I see you watch them and I see you've been influenced by them and I see you're following in their footsteps the Muslim says if you possess these three qualities you're a student of avrum and if you have these other three qualities you're a student of none other than the Wicked billum the three qualities to be a student of avram a humble Spirit a moderate appetite a student of villamori spirit and a limitless appetite and I ask you Yeshiva yeah Russia what Yeshiva Shiva of did he write a curriculum for iron raw for nephewa what does it mean what's the answer whoever saw billum whoever watched and learned from bilam consciously or subconsciously explicitly or implicitly became a talmud of bilam if you watch them you learn from he wasn't a rebbe he didn't write a curriculum if you watched and you learned you're a talmud of villa this is the power of precedent this is the impact and influence of our actions it applies most to parents as we just saw a moment ago from Michelle alter continuing in the same theme he explains even if your mother or father are not a rebby or MOA they're not still every time you bench you offer a hiracha man for their well-being and what do you say s foreign but she's also other careers why do you describe them ASI says or shmuel because every father is a teacher every mother is a teacher of the Mirage says I didn't take the class I didn't read their book I didn't sit in their sheer but you're following in their footsteps you've been influenced you're learning you're listening you're watching it applies to every one of us we have to know you know we're living in an age everyone wants to sign up for what career they want to be influencers want to be an influencer I want a lot of following I want people to send me free stuff I want to be an influencer we're all influencers every one of us at influence online offline we all create tell me them all around us in the way that we behave whether people are watching or are not watching it's an amazing poem from Mary corzum it's written for her mother but could apply to everybody should I read it or move on I'll read it quickly because it's a great poem when you thought I wasn't looking you hung my first painting on the refrigerator and I wanted to paint another when you thought I wasn't looking you fed a stray cat and I thought it was good to be kind to animals when you thought I wasn't looking you baked the birthday cake just for me and I knew little things were special when you thought I wasn't looking you said a prayer and I believed there was a God I could talk to you thought I wasn't looking you kissed me good night and I felt loved when you thought I wasn't looking I saw tears come from your eyes and I learned that some things hurt but it's all right to cry when you thought I wasn't looking you smiled and it made me want to look that pretty too when you thought I wasn't looking you cared and I wanted to be everything I could be when you thought I wasn't looking I looked and I want to say thanks for all the things you did when you thought I wasn't looking it's a beautiful poem I reserved the right to use it for years or someday it's a beautiful poem but it's exactly me tell me though the Mirage every AV is a mora every IMA is a mora we all leave students because we're all influencers and that's where the targum is getting at here paraglam and base they approach him and they say We'll build pens for our flock and we'll build for our children the mega Joseph Megan Joseph says giving them a hard time how could you not come and join your brothers to fight the Thomas stuck right to throw but he was wrong he made an assumption about them because they came with the request they want to live here he jumped to the assumption that they weren't going to fight but all along they intended to first fight before they take a breath in Residence east of the yard so why didn't they correct motion why didn't they correct Moshi immediately and say no no no we always intended to fight our request is only after says the following he tells a story the great Gary rabbit from when he was a child and he learned whether deep into the night and because of that he only went to sleep late at night early in the morning and he overslept he came late went to a late minion and Issa how dare you come later how could you go to the late minion don't be lazy don't push off how could you procrastinate how could you come late he says fasama says I was quiet and the khabarusa said why don't you tell you zaida the reason that you overslept the reason you went to the late minions because we learned until four in the morning you say they would have had such why didn't you tell them says because an opportunity to hear Muslim from Isaiah I don't want to give an excuse or an answer I embrace the opportunity for the mustard says [Music] which was worthwhile to receive even if it didn't apply in the particular circumstance but here Moshe rabena was entirely wrong he made an assumption they don't plan to come fight but they did plan to come fight so it was mustard that had no value even in any other context because it was simply wrong wonders the mega Joseph so how is this answering the question how did he apply his personal story to this particular case there especially given how intense the mushroom was why didn't Moshe give the benefit of the doubt why didn't he ask Mo the people you want to settle here okay tell me more what's your plan what's the chronology are you coming in why did he jump to an assumption and why did he give him says if you examine the words of Moshe after beneath correct him doesn't apologize motion doesn't take it back back motion doesn't slow down he doubles down in even after they clarify Moshe still considers it to be what's going on over here what's going on over here says the mega Joseph is foreign failure number one they failed to express a connection to the land and to Jewish Destiny and number two they failed to express the proper priority as we've mentioned to their children what happens when they went to go fight they stayed longer they didn't return home for many years when they came home their children had the hairstyle of the pop culture around them they cared more because they failed to express a commitment to their children it wasn't about a failure to their brothers it wasn't about a failure to the land it was about a failure of the priorities to their own children says okay let's move over actually one not yet first reason foreign he says do this Israel and then you will be clean from Hashem and from your peers nobody can make an assumption nobody will misunderstand is the Michelin says what is the most important Mitzvah in the entire Torah that a person should cling to serbiosi answered is be above board be above suspicion act in a way that you are admired for your honesty for your integrity for being straight for going on the straight and narrow that's the most important Israel it's not enough to say I look in the mirror and as long as Hashem is good with me I'm good you have to be above board from Hashem and above board from your peers misro above board from both we don't have time but there's an incredible story of the Sam sofa when it comes to this Mitzvah the Issa nikkim amidst the mission the right that says the most important it's a cling to when you have to make a decision all the time ask yourself will I fulfill this in the Kim will I raise suspicion or lower it is this above board or will people criticize we used to have a member of our executive board I would say if you can't do it in front of your spouse that's cheating if you wouldn't do it in front of your spouse it's cheating if you wouldn't speak that way to the opposite gender if you wouldn't look at that thing if you wouldn't dress that way if you wouldn't act that way if you can't do it in front of your spouse don't do it and this leader would say if we wouldn't do it in front of the entire congregation don't do it if you're questioning is this ethical unethical moral immoral is this in the gray should we do it if you wouldn't do it in front of the congregation don't do it if you can't do it that's what I tell my accountant I want you to push the envelope as far as you can save me as much money as you can but if you wouldn't do it if the IRS agent were sitting next to you watching then don't do it push the envelope as far as you can but file the tax return as if the IRS agent is watching over your shoulder this is that we have to cling to closely let's move over to Persia's Mercy the last few minutes page 918 these are the journeys of the Jewish people in the hands of Moshe and our own Moshe wrote down all the travels last year we spoke about we won't mention it again a beautiful ramban expands why in the world are we saying this the whole thing song Here the summary of The Journey a couple of pages here it's a double Parsha it's a rough Shabbos it's still the summer long day still long double Pasha save us some space really you have to tell me every detail I drove from Boca Raton to New York then we stopped at this bathroom then we went to this wrap stop then we needed to go to the bathroom then the kid diaper needed to be changed then we got drinks over here and we got drinks over there which meant we need to make another bathroom stop over there then we slept over at the hotel though okay you're here now we're enjoying each other's company now what do I care why are you ruining our time now by reviewing every step in the process who cares who cares I need to know all of this why are we reviewing it listen to last year a beautiful ramban a beautiful wrote all the details you wrote it all out writes so why do I need the Torah to testify that Moshe wrote it Moshe wrote it didn't Moshe write the entire Torah maybe not the last trip he wrote with tears how did Moshe write about his own demise but the whole Torah 99 of the total most should have been wrote so this section in particular has to be introduced with Moshe the Moshe wrote it answers a journal of the travels twice first time you wrote it down when it happened in real time so Hashem said travel took out his little notebook his little pen and he wrote bam today we left and we traveled Hashem said settle check out his little notebook his little pen and he said today we settled and when they got to Arvest Moab because Moshe now take out your little notebook take out your little Pinkus and I want you to integrate collect transcribe all the journeys and the Assad put them together in the order that you had them in your little little notebook you had a journal you kept the journal on the journey great now transcribe it all into the Torah incorporate and integrate it all into the Torah and that says is why the Torah introduces the section with Moshe is um interesting what was the significance of that interesting good Ephraim quotes how many travels did we have count them up 42 start and stop 42 Journeys 42 travels and a person needs to know emerging from your mother's womb is your own personal Exodus your only tsmiths and until the last stop on the journey which is the world to come the final stop every human being goes through 42 stops the reason this is recorded and the reason we read it and review it is to remember that just like Clyde saw at 42 stops they had 42 legs to their Journey our book is written with 42 chapters in our chapter our book is not yet done we don't know the next chapter we don't know the next step and the same Faith cholesterol had is the faith and the attitude that we too need to bring on these Journeys now you'll notice a change in the second it says we reverse it why do we reverse it what's going on over here so again the mega deals the produce why do we reverse it self there's two ways to view our life there's two components to our life means from the starting point of our journey to where we went to our destiny the starting point of our life and to our destiny is reflecting or DNA our background our personality our upbringing our what influences a person more is it their nature or nurture both both shape and mold the person is so listen to what he says a beautiful Mega Joseph why do we reverse it on the one hand I have to take everything about who I am what are my physical features what are my talents and skills what are my liabilities what's my DNA what's my personality what's my family background what's my nature and nurture that's mozai and Masa am I have to take all of that and help it Find meaning I have to manifest I have to express it I have to use it in this world but the opposite's also true I'm able to set goals and strive and have drive in this world and then that will give meaning to everything about who I am and my genetics and my DNA and where I come from my DNA and the family I'm born and born into and the time and place in which I'm not born into all of that is but where I go and what I do with it who I become and what I achieve that's been that's up to me that's up to me so part of it is predetermined it's a pi Hashem in the reverse order that is it's up to me it's up to each and every individual to give those that DNA to give what we were born with to give it meaning to give it purpose to give it direction that is all up to us what's not up to us is that we're at a time so even though there was more to talk about we didn't get to the year Nikola I love the year McLeod we didn't get to the Irma why is the stay in the ear miklat determined and dependent on the lifespan of the coingado we're going to share eight or nine reasons so let's tune in next year precious Mase and until then stay happy stay healthy and stay holy