Parsha Perspectives for Today (Tazria, 5784) - Jewish Time is Punctual

Okay, good morning, Boca please God it should be a good morning for Am Yisrael Yisrael should hear besuros tovos, yeshuos v'nechamos. Please God that today be the day that we hear good news of a sweeping victory over our enemies and the return of our hostages and an end to this war. Our parsha series is generously sponsored by Becky and Avi Katzin family in memory of David Grossman l'ilui nishmas Dovid ben Menachem Manish. We remain always very grateful to the Katzes for their generosity. Today shiur is also sponsored by Reb ben Reb Maisha. Yashar koach to the great Boca Raton Synagogue. Zchus l'chol Yisrael. Okay, shkoyach, very grateful for that. And also I want to dedicate our learning this morning in zchus, in the memory of somebody who's going to only be buried in Eretz Yisrael in the next short time from now and that is Rabbi Berkowitz who was a tremendous, tremendous person, a real leader in Miami Beach community and well, well beyond. A great baal chesed and baal tzedakah, a great father and grandfather, our own Richie Merzoff's father. Alav hashalom Reb Avraham Aba ben Moshe Chaim is nishmas shlavan Aliyah should be a maylitz yosher for his beautiful family. My son-in-law's mishpacha with him so we know him quite well and really a very, very special person and a big loss not only for Miami Beach but for all of Klal Yisrael and the world and our learning should be in his memory. So before we dive into parshas Tazria, normally we read Tazria and Metzora together. This year the calendar falls out, we read them separately which means two things. Number one, get to shul early on Shabbos because the parsha is short. So there's not your usual timing, it's a short parsha so get to shul early enough. And the number two, we're able to focus a little bit more on Tazria, there's only one parsha this week. But before we jump into Tazria page page 608 in the Artscroll Chumash, I want to share with you a thought because today is Rosh Chodesh, a good chodesh to all. It's a new month, it's a new year because there's a debate the Gemara records, was the world created in Tishrei or was the world created in Nissan? B'Nissan nivra was but Tishrei never was. When was the world was created? It's a big machlokes. It seems to be a great debate. The Slanima Rebbe quotes the Kedushas Levi of Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev who says, in fact, there's no debate at all. There were different things created and they both agree. The question is which are you focused on? What happened in Tishrei? Tishrei was the what? What was created? The world. The six days of creation, the heavens and earth, the stars and the sun and the moon that covered the sun. Everyone got their pick of the solar eclipse yesterday. Was the the constellations and the oceans and the rivers and the birds and the animals and mankind. So, Tishrei represents what we call Rosh Hashanah, the first of Tishrei, our Rosh Hashanah Yamim Noraim, was the answer to what? What was created? The material physical world. That was in Tishrei. You know what came about in Nissan? Not the what, but the why. The why were we created? And why were we created? Because the Jewish people were born. Because the whole world exists for Am Yisrael, for Klal Yisrael. God created this world for us to be models and examples and to repair and to redeem His world. That's not only a great merit, but even more significantly, that's an awesome responsibility. It's not that we are superior and better, triumphant, or we're arrogant. It's that we feel this incredible onus. We feel this relentless responsibility to repair and redeem Hashem's world to make it a better place and to be examples. So, Tishrei was the what? What was created? The Rosh Hashanah for the what was Tishrei. Says Reb Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, Nissan today is the beginning of the answer of the why. Why were we created? Because of the Jewish people. And when were we born? When we left Mitzrayim. We came down to Egypt as a family, a family of 70, and we left Egypt not as a family, we left Egypt as a nation. We left Egypt as a people. And that was why the world was created. Moreover, says Rabbi Levi Yitzchak, but that wasn't until when? 2 weeks from now, a little over 2 weeks from now. When we'll celebrate Pesach. What happens beginning today? We don't say Tachanun BRS. Many of the custom not to say Tachanun for the month of Nissan. It's not Pesach for 2 more weeks. Why are we stopping Tachanun? So, today is Rosh Chodesh. That's easy. You don't say Tachanun on Rosh Chodesh. But why won't we say it for the next 2 weeks? Cuz of bein hazmanim? We're so excited the kids are coming home? Why are we saying Tachanun? So, the answer is, today represents something significant. Is Yom Hakamas Hamishkan. Today was when the Tabernacle, the Mishkan, was inaugurated. Was opening day. Is when it all began. That's what we read about last week's parsha. Vayhi Bayom Hashmini, it was on the eighth day, which really was the first day after the 7 days of practice, the 7 days of dress rehearsal, the first day, the opening day of the Mishkan was the first of the month of Nissan, today. Today. Why is that an answer to the why? How is that celebrating the birthday of the world, the Rosh Hashanah of the why? The answer is, what did the Mishkan represent? Represents Shechinah. Shechinah is milashon shochein. Hashem is our neighbor. He's accessible. He's available. He's involved in our life. And therefore, the Mishkan represents Hashem having dirah betachtonim. Hashem as a dwelling place right down here on Earth. The Mishkan is the vehicle, the instrument, the conduit through which we can find and give Hashem manifestation here in this world. And that's the why. Why are we here? To be vehicles of godliness. So, people see us and they say, "Wow, that's what it means to be people of God." So, that when we're in an airport or travel, have a bad travel day, that we make a kiddush Hashem in the way we react, in the way we respond, in the way we negotiate when things aren't going our way, that people come over and say, "I want a piece of that." Tell me more about your religion. To be marbeh kidush Hashem. Hashra'as Hashchinah, dirah betachtonim, to give God a dwelling place down here on Earth, to act with integrity and honesty, the way we carry ourselves in business, who we are with courtesy, everywhere we go. All of that is an answer to the why. So, Tishrei is what was created. And that's what we celebrate the Yemai Hadin. And if we want to continue to exist, we come before God in judgment with the what? What? You want to still be here? The what? The physical material existence in this world? Then you have to prove your worth. That's the month of Tishrei. But Nissan, Nissan is not the what, Nissan is the why. So, the Kedushas Levi suggests they're not arguing. But really, they both agree. Question is, which is the focus? So, there are two Rosh Hashanahs. And as seriously, and as intensely, and as excited as you were for the last Rosh Hashanah of Tishrei, is as intense as today is. It's the Rosh Hashanah of the why. Today is the Rosh Hashanah of Nissan. B'Nissan Nivra Olam. It's one of the Rosh Hashanahs. So, get excited. Today's Rosh Hashanah. You don't have to stand in shul all day davening. You don't have to cook a big meal. You're not cutting up apples and making a seder and getting the honey. But today is a big day. Today is the Rosh Hashanah of the why. Of why we are here. And why are we here? To be a nation, to care about our nation, to be united with our nation. And why are we here? To be vehicles and instruments for God to express himself in this world. Answer that why. That is this Rosh Hashanah. A good year. Shana Tova. It's a good year. It is the Rosh Hashanah of Nissan. But I really want to share one other thought before we dive into the parsha. Because we're going to consider, just over two weeks at the seder table, Yachol Rosh Chodesh. We're going to wonder, hmm, maybe we could have begun to celebrate Pesach already from today, from Rosh Chodesh. Talmud Lomar B'Yomahu. No, it says that day. Don't celebrate freedom, emancipation, exodus. Don't celebrate leaving Egypt until the matzah and maror are before you. And when is that? The 15th of Nissan. Wait until Pesach when it corresponded to the historical event. That's when we celebrate Pesach. That's when we tell the story. That's when we feel the freedom. But I might have thought maybe perhaps I might have thought when does it all begin? Today, from Rosh Chodesh. Why would I thought that? Would I thought that about Chanukah? Don't wait till Kislev. Maybe from Rosh Chodesh Kislev. Would I thought that about Sukkot? Don't wait till the 15th. Maybe would I thought that about Purim? Don't wait for Purim until Is there any other holiday we think I might have thought let's take it in early. Why would I thought I could observe Pesach from Rosh Chodesh Nissan? From today. Why would I even thought that? So listen to this insight. The Lubavitcher Rebbe Zchuso Yagen Aleinu The Lubavitcher Rebbe said a novel approach. He says MeRosh Chodesh is not a question. It's a statement. Said the Lubavitcher Rebbe, you don't need to wait until the 15th of Nissan, but MeRosh Chodesh you're already allowed to start to celebrate your freedom. Take your life seriously, answer the why, experience the flavor of the exodus from Rosh Chodesh. It's not MeRosh Chodesh I might have thought maybe already. No, MeRosh Chodesh you're allowed. You're allowed to start celebrating Pesach today. You're allowed to lean into the energy of Pesach as of now. Talmud Lomar Bayomahu on this day. You don't have to wait till then. On this day cuz already that day Rosh Chodesh Moshe already began to teach the Halachas of Pesach. Already from today feel free. Mark your freedom. Celebrate your freedom. But how? The matzah maror aren't here yet. We're not telling the story. So, it's such a beautiful insight. You don't have to wait Yachol Merosh Chodesh. Already from today you can. But how? So, Rav Soloveitchik has another interpretation based on this Sforno. Sforno tells us, why is the very first mitzvah? We shared this before. The very first mitzvah that Hashem and the Torah give us when we leave Egypt. If I were taking a poll of everybody here and I said, "What do you think should be the first mitzvah of this nascent nation, of this new nation just born?" What should be the very first mitzvah? So, someone might have said Shabbat. Taharath Hamishpachah. Lashon Hara. I don't know. We would have come up with all kinds of suggestions what the first mitzvah. What does the Torah give us as the very first mitzvah? Hachodesh Hazeh Lakhem. To be able to establish a new month, a new moon. And when is that the new month and the new moon? Today. Hachodesh Hazeh Lakhem is the new month of Nisan. Why is that the very first mitzvah? And we therefore operate on a lunar calendar, not a solar calendar. And that's why hopefully yesterday the eclipse because the Gemara says, if it were a solar if it were a lunar eclipse, siman ra, it's a bad news for the Jews. But because it was a solar eclipse good news for the Jews, bad news for the enemies of the Jews, particularly when it happens the Zohar says at a time when the moon is barely discernible, which is when the eclipse happened yesterday when the moon was at its smallest, which the Zohar says is particularly bad for Yishmael. And please God let that be true. It was bad for a Hamas commander last night who they took out and killed. So, it's already bad for one. Let it be bad for many, many, many more. Why is that the first mitzvah Hachodesh Hazeh Lakhem? Why not Taharath Hamishpachah, Yom Kippur, tzniut, honesty in business, weights and measures? So many other mitzvahs we might have come up with to be the first, to be the special, to be the beginning. But to sanctify the new moon, and listen to what the Sforno says or Soloveitchik elaborates. He says, "You know what the difference between being a slave and a free person is? Your relationship with time." The slave doesn't own their own time. The slave's time is bound and obligated to others. What the master says to do is what they have to do. They don't have freedom or flexibility. They can't control their own time. But a free person has the ability to determine, to choose their time. So, when you're addicted When you're addicted to your cell phone, to its apps, then you're a slave to your cell phone and its apps. When you're addicted to your work and you're a workaholic, you're a slave to work. When you're addicted to binge-watching whatever series you were told you have to see, you're addicted to Netflix. You're a slave to that Netflix. What does it mean to be a free person? A free person is to be punctual. A free person is to be on time. A free person is to make the most of all time. So, maybe Yom Kippur Rosh Chodesh, maybe I might have thought that what empowers, what's the engine that drives all of this freedom, all this emancipation, all this Exodus is Rosh Chodesh, new beginning, a fresh start, a relationship with time, owning time. I might have thought what begins this entire experience, Rosh Chodesh. Ha Chodesh Hazeh Lakhem Tammuz L'Omer B'Yom O No. When Matzah, when Maror, it's also beautiful Rosh Chodesh and it's the first Mitzvah. And our ability to own our own time is important. But really, we celebrate Pesach. When will have the Matzah and Maror? But the Rebbe's insight is also true. Yom Kippur Rosh Chodesh. Beginning today, no more Jewish time. No more Jewish time. You know, there are dictionaries of slang, and for Jewish time, you know what it says? Perpetually late, habitually late. Jewish time is flexible with time. One of the greatest gifts, not that there were any silver linings to Corona, we wish it never happened. But we used to announce the beginning of a sheer. Parsha sheer is at 9:30. And people were still trickling in 9:33, 9:34, 9:45. And when we pivoted to also go online because people were waiting and we had to press go live. Every sheer I give now starts prompt whatever time we announce it begins. Punctuality. You know what Jewish time should mean? Punctual. On time. If you're early, you're on time. If you're on time, you're late. If you're late, don't come. Rebbe Karliner, Karliner Hasidim in the Tzava, in the ethical will of Rebbe Aaron Karliner, he left several things about davening. Number one, Karliners daven fast, quick. Why? They don't value davening? They value it enormously, but they know that the longer you daven or keep davening going, the more likely you'll get distracted. So Rebbe Aaron Karliner said in his Tzava, daven quickly. Chick-chock, the faster you go, more likely you can concentrate the whole time. Number two, they scream. If you've ever davened in the Karlin Beis Medrash, they scream. Everyone is screaming. Like screaming to the point that you'd feel silly screaming. Screaming. Why? Because when you daven quietly to yourself, your mind wanders. When you're screaming, it keeps you focused. But what was the third thing Rebbe Aaron Karliner said? If you're not on time, don't come. Daven by yourself at home. If you're not on time, don't come. Yilid, a Jew doesn't keep the king waiting. On time is late. Early is on time. And if you're late, don't come. Jewish time is to be punctual. Jewish time is to be on time cuz the value of every moment so Yachol Meirosh Chodesh. I might have thought that freedom is time. So maybe I should begin to observe from Rosh Chodesh. No, Tam U'Matzah when the Matzah is there. But the Rebbe comes and he says still, Yachol Meirosh Chodesh. Not sure how many of his Hasidim understood this message or this part of it. But at least the punctuality part of it. But you're allowed to start the Shtiebel Minyan on time. You're allowed to farbreng on time. You're allowed to begin Yaho Merash Hodesh. You're allowed on time. I'll tell you an amazing story. An amazing story. After his father the Steipler was nifter, the Kanievsky zatzal delivered a sheer in Talmud Yerushalmi. It was a sophisticated high-level sheer to accomplish Tamide Hachamim. It lasted all through the year of mourning, through his year of aveilus for his father the Steipler. And as soon as the first year of aveilus was up, the Kanievsky ended the sheer he did in memory of his father. So, the Kanievsky's son wondered. He asked his father, "Why did you stop giving the sheer?" So, the Kanievsky said, "I don't have time anymore to prepare it." He said, "How long did it take you to prepare?" He said, "Exactly 5 minutes." He said, "5 minutes? You didn't have First of all, the fact that he prepared a high-level Yerushalmi sheer for the greatest Tamidim of Bnei Brak, and it took him 5 minutes to prepare. But he said, 'You don't have 5 minutes?'" And he said, "No, I don't have 5 minutes. I don't have 5 minutes." Because he had his obligations in learning, because he had He answered every single letter that Every single letter that came to his home, he spent hours every day answering. And he met with countless people on long lines that trailed all through Bnei Brak. But every minute every moment of the Kanievsky's life was carefully considered and planned and accounted for. So, those 5 minutes was too long to have to prepare for a sheer. He didn't have the time. He didn't have the time. That was the value of 5 minutes to the Kanievsky. That was the value of 5 minutes to the Kanievsky. So, what's the value for us? What's the value for us? We would begin Parshas Tazria because this connects to Parshas Tazria. Cuz the possuk says Tazria Metora, the Gemara in Berachos asks, we say immersing in the mikvah is not enough for the metzora to become pure. Somebody spoke lashon hara, and they are afflicted with tzaraas, spiritual malady of leprosy. And in order for them to become pure, the individual even even if they went into the mikvah, they have to wait until the night time. Why is it not enough to bring the korban, bring the sacrifice, and go to the mikvah. Why do they have to wait till shabbat? Why do they have to wait for the sun to go down, for the day to be complete before they be considered pure? So, the brochos asks this question. When we mind the shabbat be shabbat by the tahir tahar yoma dilma be who might be tahar gavra and about shaila in lay makra tahar my vitahar tahar yoma. The concludes the day has to end. Something about the day ending is critically important is a necessary ingredient for the individual who gossiped and had this affliction to become pure once again. The is telling us the purification of a person who made a mistake you need the day to be pure tahar yoma. What's the difference? So, cook cooks at in in his commentary on the parts of of sections of brochos he says that the person needs purification for two things. The poor choice that they made but the day also needs purification because the poor use of time that day. Two things need purification. The gavra and the yom the day. The person needs to be purified cuz they abused the power of speech. They gossiped. They harmed and injured a friend. They damaged a relationship. So, the person needs to be rehabilitated. The person needs to be purified. The person has to go into the mikvah and bring a carbon a sacrifice. The person needs to be purified because the person made a mistake. But the day also needs to be purified. What happened in the day? They wasted time in that day by squandering the speech on something that they could have been doing instead. Could have been doing instead of 5 minutes. The 5 minutes that a person gossiped the 10 minutes on the telephone, the 15 minutes having coffee and saying and gossiping about somebody else. How could those 15 minutes have been used? Who could you have called and lifted their spirits? Who could you have visited and given them some good energy and positive vibes? Who could you have asked, "How are your children and grandchildren who live in Israel? How are you doing and how are you faring now 6 months into this war?" How could that power of speech, how could those 5 minutes, how could those 10 minutes, how could they have been used differently? So, the individual needs to be purified, says Rav Kook, but so does the day, so does the time. That's why it's not enough to go to the mikvah, it's not enough to bring the carbon. There also needs to be had of shemesh, there also has to be going to the the mikvah. There are 168 hours in everyone's week. 168 hours in the week. And many of them are accounted for. Subtract 50 for sleep and 21 hours for davening a week, maybe 40 if you work 8 hours a day, you're very lucky. That leaves 57 hours a week. So, how much discretionary time do we have a week? 50 hours? Every 7 days you have about 50 hours. What are you going to do with it? How are you going to spend it? How will you account for it? When you look back on the week, what will you show for it? Not the part that was pre-programmed and that you were obligated. The 50 hours that are discretionary, that you can choose. What would your screen time on your phone say about you? In the pre-Pesach workshop, we talked about this. We said bedikas chametz and biur chametz, what's chametz? There's only one difference between chametz and matzah. Both have the same ingredients, flour and water. What's the only difference? Time. Chametz is leaven, it's inflated. You let it sit, you let time have its impact. So, the search for chametz is not just a search for the physical leaven of chametz. What are we looking for and searching for in our life? Squandered and wasted time. We're looking for the Jewish time in our life. We're looking for the wasted time in our life. So, I suggested maybe this year for bedikas chametz, you know what you should do? Before you make the bracha, before you start to walk around with the candle and the feather and the spoon, everyone should take out their smartphone and everybody should open up and look at where it says screen report, how you spent your time on your phone. And everybody should do the bedikas chametz on their phone. What app do I need to erase? Which app do I need to delete? Where was I wasting and spending way too much time? That's beer chametz. Bedika, the search for chametz, and the beer chametz, the destroying chametz, look for the chametz, the leaven, the inflated wasted squandered time in our phones, on our computers, in our lives. So, yachol, may rosh chodesh, chevre. You don't have to wait. You don't have to wait until 2 weeks. Pesach will celebrate the yetzias mitzrayim, the exodus, when the matzah and the maror are sitting in front of us. But the new attitude towards time, punctuality, making the most of every moment, making each day full so the day doesn't need purification, yachol, may rosh chodesh, that you're allowed to do beginning already today. Let's go back to the beginning of the parsha, page 608. Perek yud bet, pasuk aleph, "Vayedaber Hashem el Moshe leimor, God spoke to Moshe saying, "Daber el benei Yisrael leimor, speak to klal Yisrael and tell them, "Isha ki tazria v'yalda zachar, if a woman conceives and she has a male child, v'tam'ah shiv'at yamim kimeni nidat dovotah titma, she shall be impure for 7 days. When a woman gives birth, there's an impurity she experiences. Impurity is not dirtiness. You know, some of the worst anti-Semites who study the Bible, one of the tropes that they try to use is that we describe a woman who's menstruating as dirty. Purity and impurity is not a gender bias. It happens to be that women, based on a cycle or based on childbirth, have impurity. Men also have impurity and tumah. They can also have an emission that creates an impurity. Ezra, in fact, was masakin that any man who had a nocturnal emission, any man who had any emission, a seminal emission, had to go to the mikvah before he could daven, before he could learn. That's why many men have the custom to use the mikvah daily out of Shabbos, out of Yom Tov, they go to the mikvah. It's not a gender bias. Men, women, tzaraas could apply to both before going to the Beis Hamikdash, before going on Har Habayis. Tumah and taharah applied to both equally. It happens to be today when we no longer observe the tumah of tumas meis, of the impurity that comes from contact with a corpse or sheretz, a creepy crawly. So, women are the primary ones who use the mikvah or who have to purify from impurity because of their cycle, but there's no other there's nothing gender specific, there's nothing gender biased about it. So, one of the categories of people who are impure and need to be purified is a woman after she gives birth. And there's a difference between whether she had a boy or a girl, 7 days or 14 days how the impurity lasts. It's a fascinating quote, Aristotle also talks about this 7-day, 14-day impact on a woman after giving birth, depending if it's a boy or a girl. Clearly, he took it from the Torah, clearly he took it from the Bible. So, here on this eighth day, Rav Soloveitchik says the following. He says, "Let me hold on, let's keep going cuz we'll get to the bris." Vayam hashmini, yimal basar orlaso. Pasuk gimel. On the eighth day, the bris takes place. On the eighth day, the bris takes place. Soloveitchik says the following. There are two fulfillments in the mitzvah of milah, the mitzvah of circumcision. On the one hand, the act of circumcision is conceptually similar to many other mitzvos. There's a mitzvah to circumcise one's son just as there's a mitzvah to hold a lulav. On the other hand, a new status is conferred upon the person through milah. One who takes a lulav is the same person before and after the mitzvah. His status has not changed. After milah, however, the child becomes a ben bris. Only then can he enter the mikdash or bring sacrifices. Milah, circumcision, is an integral part of conversion. After conversion, the individual is fundamentally changed. These two aspects of the mitzvah of milah are reflected in the two blessings that are recited at a circumcision, at a bris. The first bracha, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu al hamilah, it's a classic birchas hamitzvah, the bracha you do before a mitzvah. Before you sit in the succah, before you shake a lulav, before you're going to eat the matzah, al achilas matzah. Before you put on your tallis, as ate the tzitzis. But according to Rabbeinu Tam in Pesachim daf zayin, the second bracha, l'hachniso b'vriso shel Avraham Avinu, to enter in the covenant of Avraham our forefather, that goes on the change of status that is the result of the bris. So this bris is unique. Every other mitzvah has an action. It doesn't change your status or identity. There's an external action that's done. So you make only the bracha corresponding the blessing on the action. But here there are two things. There's the action, and there's the birchas hamitzvah before the action. But there's also a resulting change of status, and that's the second blessing of l'hachniso b'vriso shel Avraham Avinu. The Gemara records that the evil Roman governor, Turnus Rufus, once asked Rabbi Akiva, "If God hates the uncircumcised, why did he create man in an uncircumcised state?" "What are you doing?" And by the way, you see this again today. There are countries in the world right now trying to yet again outlaw bris milah. "It's cruel. There's no consent of the child, of the baby. It's uh barbaric." This traces back to Turnus Rufus, the Roman governor, who said, "What are you doing? It's barbaric. If God you think God wants you to do this? This is such a commandment you have to do? Then why did God make people with a foreskin? If it's so horrible, why didn't he make them circumcised?" Rabbi Akiva said, "Does the earth yield bread?" I don't understand. Does the earth grow bread? The earth grows wheat. You plant kernels, and it grows wheat. And the earth grows wheat. And what is man charged to do? Take that wheat and thresh it, grind it, and winnow it, and sift it, and knead it, and bake it into bread. And his rhetorical response would be conveyed just as God desires that man bring forth bread from his effort, it's only man who can sanctify himself. If man wants to attain holiness, the initiative rests with him. He must circumcise himself. Only through the blood of his personal sacrifice shall man live on a holy plane. Without toil and suffering, there is no holiness. You don't get to enter into the covenant of the Jewish people. You don't get to become a full member of the Jewish people without toil and suffering and effort. There can't be holiness without effort. The role of man in the endowment of holiness is a central theme in Halakha. A scribe writes a Torah and does not explicitly state the sanctity of Hashem's name, the Shem Kedusha Sefer Torah, while writing Hashem's name, neither the name nor the scroll of any sanctity. The loftiness of the text itself makes no difference. Without the intention of writing the name for the purpose of vesting holiness, even the ultimate expression of faith, the Shema, becomes profane. We have to be invested. We have to be mindful. We have to be present. We have to be thoughtful. We are the ones who transform it. We are the ones who who elevate it. Pirkei Avot pasuk vav. Torah tells us, "And the days of her purification have been completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring a sheep in the first year as a burnt offering, a young dove or turtle dove as a sin offering to the entrance of the tent of the meeting." A woman gives birth has to bring a korban chatat, a sin offering. When do you bring a sin offering? I'll give you a little hint. It's in the name. When do you bring a sin offering? When you've done a a sin. We I hate the word sin. I've told you this for years. There's no such word as sin. That was borrowed from the Catholics. Jews don't have a sin. A chata'ah means a chet is a missed opportunity. Sin is not our word. We believe in chet as a missed opportunity. Hashem gave us mitzvahs as say mitzvahs lo say. He gave us many ways we can get close to him when we take advantage of an opportunity. And if we violate, we miss an opportunity. We miss an opportunity to sin. If my wife asked me to take out the garbage, and I missed garbage day, wish this were hypothetical. And I missed garbage day this week. So, did I do a sin against her? I don't know what that word means, a sin. It's a missed opportunity. It means if I would have done it, you know what the greatest opportunity would have been? Imagine if I take out the garbage without her asking. And she said, "Don't forget." And I say, "Already at the curb." Already done. We have that mitzvah, too. Gadol person who's not metzuvah, who volunteers, the greatness. Okay, but then you have and it's gadol metzuvah v'oseh, if you're asked. But if you didn't do something, it's not a sin. It's a missed opportunity. Okay, so for a few minutes she'll be disappointed, frustrated. I do everything you ask. You You couldn't get that done. I'm frustrated. It's a missed opportunity that brings with it yields a consequence. A little distance, a little friction, a little tension. That's the same thing in our relationship with Hashem. We don't have sins. We have missed opportunities. So, what opportunity did this woman miss? Nine months she carried this baby around. Aches and pains and stretch marks and nausea and vomiting. Nine months. Now she gave birth. No epidurals. No epidurals. Nine months. Nine months. It's talking about R' Rebo, Yishai Rebo, on Friday night about how he writes these songs. And he was sharing at the Shabbos table about some of them he gives birth b'li epidural. Quickly they come right out. Beautiful. Others, nine months of gestation, a painful labor he was describing. So, what what did this woman do? She brought this new neshama into this world, a new soul. She has to bring a hattas? What is she bringing a hattas for? Why is she bringing an atonement? So, the Ramban writes why does she have to bring a hattas? Because what happened? In the pangs of childbirth, she's lying there in the hospital bed. You know who she's what she's doing? She's looking at that husband of hers. You lowlife oysvorf you did this to me. You no-goodnik, you miserable pain-in-the- I'm going to kill you. She looks over at the doctor, "I'm never doing this again." She swears this is the last time. Forget about it. This is never happening again. And you, find another bedroom, find another house, find another wife. I'm done with you. Never going to be close to you again. Doctor, I'm done with you. I'm never coming No more children. I'm done. So, the Ramban says when she sobers up, which is usually when she's holding the baby in her arms. By then, she can't feel any pain anymore for a little bit. So, she regrets having made that pro- promise, that pledge, having said those things. So, she has to bring a carbon hattas. She brings a carbon hattas. The Kli Yakar alternatively suggests that the hattas is offered by the mother to atone for the cheit of Chava. Why does she have the pain in childbirth to begin with? Why wasn't it so comfortable? Why doesn't she show up at the hospital 10 minutes later, "Oh, delicious, beautiful baby." Why does she have to have contractions and pain and nausea? Because we all have to pay the piper for what happened in the garden. Adam, men, we're working by the sweat of our brow. We're working long days in order to earn an income, in order to make money, in order to pay our bills. We're still working hard. And the snake is still slithering on his stomach. Although, I just saw a video of an invention. Somebody put a snake on this like long thing with wheels and the snake is able to I don't know, somehow drive it. So, it's no longer slithering on its stomach. Uh Mashiach Mashiach's coming? I don't know. What the We're reversing the punishment of the snake. I don't know what that means. Snake, for the most part, is still slithering on its stomach. And what was Hava? What was Eve's punishment? She's going to now have pain of of childbirth. The pain of labor. My oldest was born in Israel. And we hired a birthing coach, a doula, whatever they're called. It's very firm, spiritual woman. Which seemed like a fantastic idea. Until Yocheved went into labor. And we're at the hospital. And she was trying to convince Yocheved not to get an epidural because you're going to be mechaper for Hava, lean into the pain, feel the She had to bring a korban chatas for the things she said about this woman. Trying to distract the doctor so it would be too late to get the epidural so she can Meanwhile, you see that when a person wishes something, it comes true because the doctor at the hospital who gave the epidural, it only took in half of her body. So, every contraction that she had, Yocheved, half of her body shouldn't feel the pain, the other half she was in agony. So, half of chet of of Hava was mechaper. Yocheved at least contributed to the kapara the real chelek of the half of half of the chet of Hava. So, the Kli Yakar says the Kli Yakar says she's not bringing a korban chatas because she did anything in particular wrong. Why does every yoledet, why does every woman who gives birth bring a korban chatas? Because womankind, because of all of women, you know, on the on behalf of Hava, the mistake they made with the with the etz hada'at. The mother requires atonement because she rejects the exertion associated with childbirth, the rejection reminiscent of Adam and Hava when they refused to undergo the exertion required to attain knowledge. So, Rav adds to this klyak or the following. Listen to this. I never heard this. The need to wait so many days until the woman can become purified after childbirth can once again be traced to the first sin. Because according to the Midrash, I didn't know this, Adam and Hava ate from the tree of knowledge, etz hada'as, on what day of the week? A Friday. The Midrash says that they waited a few more hours until Shabbos, then Hakadosh Baruch Hu would have told them they could eat from that tree, too. When he first put them in the garden, he said, "Micol, eat from the whole shmorg, enjoy." Some say that's actually the first mitzvah. Before pru u'rvu, before achdushecha lachem, micol etz hada'as eat. Is Hashem saying, "Enjoy my world. Enjoy the shmorg, enjoy the buffet, enjoy my world." In other words, it's a positive commandment. Hashem doesn't want us to live an ascetic life. He says, "I put you in this beautiful gishmak world. Go, as, go eat, go enjoy. That one tree, don't touch." And by the way, if they would have just waited a few more hours, even the carving station would have opened up. Even the sushi station would have opened. A few more hours, even the men at the chasan's tisch would have gotten some food. If the Torah's gender biased, if Judaism has a bias against anybody, it's against the men. The women get the whole shmorg, and they're not going to eat anything except the fruit. And the men, we get some sponge cake. Where's the shmorg? Where's the carving station? I don't know how we got onto that. But anyway, if they would have waited a few more hours, just a few more hours, they would have had the etz hada'as. Likutei Torah, parshas Kedoshim. The rebbe is quoting the rav is quoting Likutei Torah. He knew it cold. As a punishment for Adam and Hava's impetuous, a woman must wait many days until her nida impurity is removed, and man must wait 3 years before he can eat the fruit of a newly planted tree, orlah. Many of the mitzvahs in the Torah teach us the importance of the ability to wait. Isn't that an interesting insight of the rav? She's bringing a korban cutters and she has to wait to become purified again because it's teaching patience because the whole height of Hava, the whole challenge, the whole problem of the was was a failure to be patient. So therefore, this whole formula is to teach some patience. Oh boy. Speaking of time management, we're still pretty bad at it. Okay. Let's go back to the beginning of the parsha. I even have a new column of the on the sorry, I'm in the wrong place. That's last week's parsha. No, we're still here. So he has she has a a boy or a girl, she's got to bring a carbon. She's got to bring a carbon cutters. I drove also wonders why she's bringing the carbon cutters. Because she gets up, she swears she's never going to be intimate with her husband again. Through the pain of childbirth. The she love her but she suggests something else. Both in the south. She let the carbon cutters. He says the opposite inside. So we had the man with the clear occur. You have a vacation and now we have truck. You ready? Listen to this. What happens to the woman when she's in childbirth? It's the same thing that happens to anyone in the moment of of pain, of crisis, of urgency. What do you start to do? You start to negotiate with the almighty. God, if you get me to that bathroom, I will never speak again the rest of my life. God, if you make this pain go away, if you heal me from this cold, this flu, if you get me out of this bed, if you take away the sciatica, if you stop my hip from hurting, if you whatever the ailment is, Hashem, I will finish us. I will say to him all all tell him every day. I will when a person feels in a moment of crisis or urgency, boy are they talking to Hashem. Boy are they talking to Hashem. Kavod Zman Kasha Ba Hava Ba Yeshua. Tempted to tell you a story but my mother won't be happy. The Mikra and all the Masculus and all the sources of the what what happens? Well, you come out, you make your Ashia Tza. Within 10 minutes you forgot about how you almost didn't make it. Never mind God, I got there okay. I didn't need you. Forget it. I'm back to Lashon Hara. Forget the Shas. Forget the Tehillim. Forget the Never mind Hashem, the sciatica resolved itself. Never mind Hashem, time of flu, I got better, I got out of bed, chicken soup is unbelievable. I didn't need you. I'm go all good to go. What happens? We always forget Hashem. It doesn't take long until the same solution and answer that we turned to, that we negotiated with, that we made all kinds of promises and pledges about. So Uvim Lo Simay Tahara Levena Levas. When this Yoledes, when the woman who gives birth, Uvim Lo Simay when she completes her purification for a son or a daughter, so now she's healed. She's completed the purification. It's already time has passed. Contractions have subsided. Even the post have subsided. Stitches are feeling better. She's walking around comfortably. Even the baby weight has started to go away. She's feeling fantastic. She's feeling great. What happened to her promise? I'm going to start to go to the Emunah Shiur. I'm going to join the Tehillim group. I'm going to start to bake challah every week. She forgot cuz she's feeling better. So that's why you bring a Korban Chatas. The Chatas is for because when I was in a state of urgency, I made all these promises, I made all these pledges. Uvim Lo Simay Tahara when it comes to when you're feeling better, bring your bring your if you didn't make good on the promises that you made. If you weren't able to continue that incredibly high spiritual level, the talking to Hashem, the surrendering to Hashem, the pleading and begging to Hashem when we need him in that moment of crisis big or small, if a person regresses, if a person reverts back to where they were beforehand, that's what you need a carbon for. Unbelievable joke, was worth today just for that just for that joke. Person has to be cognizant and devoted that after we pass an urgent moment that we don't revert back to who we were. The the same closeness we felt to Hashem when we were begging him, groveling to him, carry that even when you don't need him as desperately, even when you don't need him as urgently in that moment. Now we move over to we bring we start the story of us. If a person has on his flesh even the article doesn't translate these words. Person has a what seems like a dermatological condition. Only cortisone cream doesn't make this one go away. Put a little cortisone cream on it, right? Everybody knows the joke. But I won't say it because my is a dermatologist. If it's wet dry it, if it's dry wet it, put cortisone cream on it. I won't say it because it wouldn't be nice to my father-in-law. So this is not a dermatological disease. Cortisone cream's not taking care of this one. Steroids not taking care of this one. So what is the dermatological presentation? Says or it's on the skin of your of your flesh go? Go to Aaron or to one of his sons. And here we have three of drugs in a row. Buckle up. Here we go. A lot more, but let's start with three of drugs in a row. We have partial tazria after shmini. How does shmini end? What laws? Kashas. How does tazria begin? The law part here now. With tsaraas. Why? What's the smithas parshas? What's the connection one to the other? Says Rav Druck, you know what? Don't only be careful and vigilant with what you put in your mouth. Also be careful and vigilant with what comes out of your mouth. Don't only care about what you put in your mouth. How many people we know who keep glatt kosher? They're scrup super strict and scrupulous chalav Yisrael, bishul Yisrael, pas Yisrael, chaim sh'eirum, sh'chita of the best. I won't eat there. I won't eat this. I won't touch that. I can't eat this. I only make this at home. And meanwhile, lashon hara, rechilus, sheker. Be as careful with what comes out of your mouth as what you put in your mouth. That's not to say be less careful with kashas. It's to say be more careful with lashon hara. That we should be as careful with what comes out of our mouth as with what we put in our mouth. And that's why the the The Gemara in Arachin tells us in the guy in boim l'chaper al avon mesaper lashon hara. So that's the smithas parshas, says Rav Druck. Be as careful with what comes out of your mouth as with what you put in your mouth. That is number one. Number two. We have all kinds of tumah. Mays, sh'eretz, nevelah, shichvat zera, zav, zavah, nidah, yoledet. The impurity we spoke about before. If a person has contact or is even simply in the same building as a corpse, they become contaminated without even touching. Cohen can't go into the hospital. There's a morgue. It's a whole shaila. Still being done. Lenny's Pizza, delicious, wonderful. We have all They're all wonderful. They're all delicious. Lenny's Pizza is in a strip mall that also has a Jewish funeral home. It's in the same building under the same covering under the same roof. Or if you're from the Midwest, roof. And the shaila is can a Cohen go in to get pizza? Depends what's in that funeral home. They cremate ash. They do ash also. Do ash also metame? What if the ash have an etzem? Is there enough kedusha? Is there a barley measure of ash of bone mixed in with that ash that could be metame? So, in fact, we worked with Lenny's. A Cohen? Lenny's will bring it out for pick up. You don't have to go inside. They'll bring it to the curb. But a Cohen is strict, doesn't go in. A kind of flies can figure out which route if the airplane flies over a cemetery, could be a problem. If the airplane has a a body on the particular airplane, depending how the airplane is designed, you're in the same space as the corpse, as the mace. It's metame. A sheretz is metame. A creepy crawly sheretz. I don't know how you translate sheretz. Creepy crawly insect. A navela, a carcass of an animal. Shekh vezera, a seminal emission. A zava zava, sorts of illnesses and diseases like a gonorrhea. Nida, yoledes, a woman is menstruating. Yeah, a woman who gave birth. They all create tuma. The kashanim is born in the mouth of the kashanim shudaf. So, what's the common denominator? Wonders of drug. Wonders of drug. All these things contaminate. All these things create tuma. What's their common denominator? How do we understand to me better by trying to understand what's their common denominator? You know what the common denominator of all them is? A loss of life. A loss of liveliness. A life loss of of life energy. A corpse, dead creepy crawly, a carcass, are understandably they have no case. There's no life force left in them. A man's seminal emission or a dove or if a man has an emission, they could have they could have conceived. That semen could have been the beginning of a new life. It had in it the ingredients of life. A nida, what's nida? The default of a woman's body, it's an extraordinary thing. A woman's body is programmed every month the endometrial lining of the uterus thickens in anticipation of the implantation of a conceived egg. That means to say that the default of a woman's life from the moment she is the age of godless, she's mature, the default of a woman's life, the way her body is designed is to conceive and carry a baby. Which you understand why it's so unbearably painful for those who don't, who struggle with infertility, primary infertility, secondary infertility, because that same body that's so beautifully is carefully designed to prepare to prepare. The endometrial lining of the uterus thickens. That's what a period is. Menstruation, the bleeding of menstruation is not the egg. The egg is is microscopic. You can't see it. It's the lining of the uterus that thickened in anticipation and preparation to receive a conceived egg when there is no conceived egg cuz there is no pregnancy, then the lining sheds and that is the the blood of a period of a nida. And if that's the physical design of the body, then spiritually that's the anticipation and the desire and the longing and the very definition. If I am a mesa noki Rachel I may new says, if I don't conceive if I go through another month where my body says, no good, failure to launch, failure to conceive, failure to be your role, then mesa noki I can't live like this. So we dive in that all those who are waiting and wanting and longing should celebrate the birth of beautiful and healthy children that give them tremendous nachas. So why does a nida create tuma? Because that was her body that could have been conception. So so one does a drug if that's the common denominator of all the other things that create tuma, where does taras fit in? Someone who gossips about somebody else, somebody who's afflicted with a spiritual leprosy, why they tuma? Where's the tuma? So he says, here too there's a tumas mesa. Here too there's a lack of chias. Where's the lack of chias here? Because when a person when a person abuses and violates that gift called the power of speech, they have forfeited their very humanity. They have killed a piece of themselves. They've killed a piece of themselves. Torah tells us when man is created by the power of nishmas chaim, God breathed his soul into ours. He took a deep breath kavyajo. The the mystics explain this. The nefesh hachaim alashner says the image of a glass blower. If you've ever seen glass be blown, glass blower inhales and then takes a deep breath, blows into a straw, and expands in Italy. I saw this. I told my children as we were watching this Nefesh Chaya in the glass gets expanded. What's inside that glass? What's the relationship of the glass blower to the glass? He loves it. It's his yetzirah, it's his creation. What does it contain in it? His breath. That glass is not just glass. So, when you pay or overpay for that glass in Italy or in America where they tell you it was from Italy, you know, you bought a nice thing to decorate your house with. But for the glass blower, it's not just a nice decoration. It's a piece of him because it's his breath inside it. And Hakadosh Baruchu took in keviyacha a deep breath, his essence. He blew it into us. And our breath is a piece of him. That's how he put the tzelem Elokim, the chelek Eloka mimaal mamash. That's how God put a piece of himself into us. That's why That's why the same letters, the same word, you've heard this from me a million times, neshama and neshima. Every time I take a breath, I am affirming my neshama. Hashem's breath is in me, and when I breathe and I'm in contact with my breathing, I am nourishing my neshama. I'm affirming my neshama that it comes from him. That it comes from him. So, the Targum Onkelos, when he translates the word nefesh chaya, we became a living breathing animated being, he translates the word nefesh chaya as ruach memalela. The Targum Onkelos translates and says God breathed into us and made us a speaking being. That we were able to talk. Mavet v'chaim b'yad lashon the pasuk in Mishlei. Melech says life and death are in the hands and the power of speech. Life and death is in the power of speech. I'll tell you you see that. Because we're cursed to have such terrible leaders in our time and the choices and alternatives of such terrible leaders in our times. Who equally and now I'm not ranking on either side say such stupid things both sides. And through saying stupid things they move economic markets. They impact stability geopolitical stability in the Middle East. They embolden our enemies. All they have to do is say certain things like I'm giving an ultimatum. I'm considering no longer supporting or sending weapons. And that emboldenment what it does mothers lotion. There's no no weapons discharged. But mothers lotion simply through speaking through speaking you can create and destroy worlds, start and stop wars. The impact that you can have that you can have. So what defines us as human beings the power of speech. So what happens when a person abuses it and wastes it and squanders it? Says we're drunk. They've given up their their life. There's a death to their power of speech. They could have used the speech to destroy to uplift to empower to enable to elevate to enrich. We use the power to put down to denigrate to diminish to destroy. That's a lack of so therefore there's tumor. Tumor is whenever there's a removal of life force. So we asked I understand that when it comes to all these others may share I understand there's a lack of so that results in tumor. Where's the lack of where's the lack of a life force when it comes to gossiping? So the answer is because when you violate the whole reason that you were created the whole reason you're here the whole thing that differentiates you from the animal kingdom then what's the result? A lack of the result is tumor. Last of for the day is the third one on this possuk. He says, how do you become pure? You go to the cohen. Why do you go to the cohen? Taka, put some cortisone cream on it. Open up the Chofetz Chaim Shmiras Halashon. Open up the Chofetz Chaim's book Shmiras Halashon and start to learn it. Start to start to study it. I wrote an article last year. A wonderful member of our community who has a very large successful business who has a lot of religious Jewish employees. So, we uh brings them away and gives them an incredible weekend every year to appreciate them. And they wanted to appreciate him. So, they thought what gift are they going to give him? He owns the company. He has everything you could want. So, what are they going to get him? You know what they came up with? They know that he loves the book Shmiras Halashon. Chofetz Chaim is a whole book, a whole motivational book on guard your tongue. How to be careful not to gossip. So, you know what they bought him? You know what they got him? They bought every member every employee of the company a copy Hebrew-English of the Chofetz Chaim guide. And they pledged to do it can be broken up to learn the whole book in a year. Thank you. And in gratitude, our gift to you is we all take upon ourselves to learn this book. Not a beautiful gift? What it says about the owner, that they knew that's what he would want as a gift. What it says about them, that that's what they thought to get him. It's a beautiful thing. We should all do that. We should all take it upon ourselves. So, but why go to the cohen? Why go to Aaron? So, says Rav Druck, "Near Lavara Pi Divrei Rashi." But of course, Aaron Shloshim Yom Yakov Avinu Yisrael. When Aaron died, the Jew Jewish people were inconsolable. They cried, they mourned, they grieved for 30 days. Rashi says, "Why?" Why were they going to miss Aaron so much? What they loved about him? He was the Ohev Shalom Rodef Shalom. When a couple were in conflict, when a couple were in crisis, when parents and children weren't talking, when two business partners were were in a fight, who can they count on? Where did they go? Aaron the Kohen. Aaron was the great resolved conflict peacemaker. And they all loved him. They loved him cuz Aaron brought great peace. The says God will show him to be initially his dough. A metzora, while they're impure, can't be intimate with his wife. He's separated from his wife. Who brings that union? Who brings them back together? Aaron the Kohen. The metzora came through gossip. Introduced to suit. Injured and harmed a fellow Jew. Who is able to resolve it and bring him back together? Aaron. That's why Dafka this illness, this malady, where does one go? To Aaron the Kohen. It is resolved through Aaron. The Amara also has few beautiful ideas on this as we are running out of time. You have to begin punctually. I don't know if you have to end punctually. Yet to be decided. Who was he? The Zayda of the Einikle rather of the Basham. And he quotes the following. A year to Jew sometimes falls down. And and it could be a lot of reasons. But if you bounce back So some Jews fall down, we're not into it. We're not inspired, we're not motivated, we go through a rough stretch. But when we bounce back, we can go higher than we ever were. Sometimes it's who we're hanging out with. Negative peer pressure brings us down. Love of Hashem is delicious. My question is is not so much about what is Hashem is Baruch. Sometimes it can be we were so on fire, we got so arrogant about how righteous and religious we were. That in fact we were so such a holy roller that it made us so unholy and we had a big fall. And that's what the possuk says. Says the the machon Ephraim. Adam ki yavo or basaro kashur yesh lo nafila b'avodas Hashem is Baruch. Yedaya machlokes kamasi bos. Ki yavo or basaro when you have a fall, sa'is. Sa'is means to lift. Could be because you grew too arrogant. Osefa'as. Or sefa'as is chabrus means a connection. It could be because you were hanging out with the wrong people. O'beheiras. Beheirus. It could be because you were chasing the wrong things. So what's the answer? V'hu v'hu Aharon HaKohen. B'chol z'man b'tshuva how? Through Aharon HaKohen is is the uh example of getting close to Hashem. Okay? Interesting way of reading the possuk. The Noam Elimelech v'Elimelech of Lizhensk has another interpretation. And he says the following. Sometimes a person has a machshava tova. Person wants to do tshuva or do a ma'aseh tov, but he can't get it into his core. It's an external desire, drive, spark, but he hasn't internalized it to do it. Why? Sh'lo tiken adayin mashu tzarich l'saken. Cuz the person hasn't corrected or repaired something inside themselves that they have to that's going to enable them to do what they need to do. So he says Adam ki yavo or basaro sa'is. If there is a ma'aseh b'avodas Hashem or sefa'as, sha'ula b'machshava so it's chabrus davka tzadikim. Now it's all positive things. Ki yavo or basaro, person is superficially driven, sa'is. They want to go higher. O'sefa'as. Hischabrus. They want to connect, attach themselves to someone righteous, good. Or beheiras. They what? They have some clarity on some righteous thing they want to do. But rak bor b'saro, it only remains on the surface, on the outside. L'nega tzara'as, so then it'll be a nega, a blemish on them because it's only superficial. So, what do you do? V'huva l'kohen, you have to go to a righteous person to see the way it goes from thought into action. So, when you have something but it's only in the thought, it's a seyas s'fa'as b'eras, but only in thought, then in order to bring it into the world of action, v'huva l'kohen, you have to be brought to the kohen. The last time we learn this lesson of Mishkan is at the Tiferes Reb Radomsk says the following, v'huva l'kohen, harei Torah kulah nitzus m'nesh lad, so the Tiferes was bothered, it should just say you bring him to a kohen. Why does it first say you bring him to Aharon? Why Aharon? So, Reb Yoel answered that because Aharon is the person of shalom, the ohev shalom v'rodef shalom. But the Tiferes was also bothered, if the Torah is written as an eternal document, and it speaks to every Jew in every generation of all time, and Aharon's not here anymore, so why would it instruct us when we go through the same malady called tzara'as, v'huva l'Aharon, go to Aharon? Because of the verse, the Tiferes says the following, we say in our davening, Elokei Avraham, Elokei Yitzchak, Elokei Yaakov. It's not sippur d'varim b'alma, it's not just a story. Avos avodas Elokeinu avodas Elokeinu avos kiyem l'ad, ya'aseh omen Elokei Avraham. Because what we're saying is about Avraham Avinu wasn't a historical figure that is relegated to history, to the past. The energy and the avodah, and what Avraham embedded within our DNA, it continues to live, it's immortal, it's eternal. Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov for us are not historical figures. They're not people of the past. Who they are, their energy, their teachings, their lives, their very DNA, we have and we carry within us. Ki Avraham Avinu im midas ha'chesed, so the whole nation yesh no adam mistabek atzmo midas ha'chesed, umekasheh nashim nishmas Avraham Avinu, so way with a parent or a grandparent, when you walk in their footsteps, when you emulate their ways, when you make the recipe, when you say their of the Haggadah, so they're still alive. They're still here. You are their embodiment. So similarly, when you do and where do we learn that? How do we have the ability to do that? is Avram. And a person is to the is keeping alive. And a person who's connected to the MS is keeping alive. So, a person who's connected to again to love, they're keeping alive. For who Aaron be drawn to the quality of Aaron, be drawn to the same for doesn't mean the Aaron, it doesn't mean Aaron the historical person, doesn't even mean the Aaron of our generation, it means Aaron the Aaron that's inside us. Why did you gossip? Why were you nasty? Why were you slandering someone else? Because you were in you felt some disconnect. You felt some unhealthy competition. There was envy or jealousy. Aaron would never tolerate that. Aaron drag yourself, go to the of Aaron, go to the place where you're of Aaron, reconcile, and overlook the little things, and be like we spoke about last week. Be be love and show positive to them. Don't respond. Don't escalate. Don't carry a grudge. For who Aaron, if we'd all go closer to Aaron, we'd be brought to Aaron, we'd be we'd have the ability to purify ourselves. The question all comes down to inside us. I guess we'll have to start with this next week in Jerusalem, but the question comes down to what happens when you abuse the power of speech? What do you result with? A nega. If you favorably look at people and have a positive power of speech, it's cuz why? What did you do? You looked at them with an ayin tovah, a good eye. It's all about the ayin. Is the ayin at the end of the word nega, or is the ayin at the beginning of the word ayin? So, who would be the safer that would talk about this? The Hilchos Bas Ayin. The Bas Ayin, the Hilchos Rebbe, the Bas Ayin talks all about is the ayin at the end of the word, then you get a nega. The ayin is a a positive word, is it a ayin tov or an ayin ra? An ayin ra, you have a nega. Ayin tov, then you're going to see favorably, you're not going to have a nega. He elaborates a lot more in this, but we are out of time. With Hashem, we'll pick up next week. Have a wonderful day. It should be a day that we hear besuros tovos, yeshuos, and nachamos. A good chodesh. Yachol, Rosh Chodesh. Today also, you can begin this journey towards freedom and punctuality. Thank you.