Parsha Perspectives for Today (Vayeira 5784/2023) -The Work is on Your Shoulders

okay may it be a good morning for CLA is for for ER is it should be a good morning it should be a good day it should be a good week we should have only BOS toos yes it's good to be back in person and back finding our our strength insights and perspectives for today from the paraa want to thank as always our generous sponsors Becky and abiat and family who sponsored the paraa series in memory of David Gman lately this morning's par is also sponsored by Robin and Eric Froman commemoration of the year at site of Harold duot h benona do and by Ela tractenberg Andre and alen liberman dor Hill lefco it's in memory ofam on his 10th yite his Nama should certainly have an Aliyah two reminders one is right at the end of our parer we'll divide up the tum and we'll finish all of say Forum on behalf of our brothers and sisters in Israel the IDF who are engaged in heavy fighting right now deep in Gaza certainly there in all of our thoughts and prayers our hearts so all Theos of our learning should be in their in their Merit but please stay after it'll take just a few minutes if we divide up all of to them Among Us it'll go very quickly also we ordered believe it or not it's very hard to find but we ordered and custom made Israeli flx to put on your car to proudly display to show we're not embarrassed ashamed hiding afraid their uh $ five dollar proceeds go to the soldiers they're available in the lobby right afterwards so please uh feel free to participate in this effort par appears in page 78 the artone last week's para we were introduced to a ainu and even though that was perhaps mid story we spoke last shabas morning about the episode of the K that aam already endured a test even before we came to know him when he survived the fiery furnace our enemies try to destroy us all they do is give birth to a new us a better version of us we became a nation we began again they tried to incinerate and obliterate and exterminate a he comes out of that fiery furnace he supersedes nature he transcends nature he's bigger stronger more driven more focused on his mission than ever and the story continues in this week's par just had his bris appears to in M I got a new safer our dear teacher and Friend R Dr May Dr schita we uh learned through hisid for several years he coming out with a new series on para called la la is along the same lines but a new series a continuation of the so he qu why didem come why does hasem appear before we all know we're all taught from a young age to visit the sick Aram is recovering from surgery at an advanced age the third day the most precarious the most painful day appears to visit the sick I'm it was the third day andm came to inquire as to his well-being hem came to see how he's doing and wonders of Torah just tells us that hasem appeared before him and that AR is sitting outside and the next thing you know abam raises his eyes and sees these three what he thinks are wanders of of course we know the story they're angels and then the conversation with Hashem whatever it was is abruptly interrupted because aam pivots and he shifts to go no practice his signature quality so what was why did Hashem visit how did know where do they see in theim that the purpose of this visit is be and more over Rashi says he jumps the gun he's going to quote that it was the third day after surgery and he came to ask how he's doing but Rashi jumps the gun and before quoting kazal says he came to visit the sick as it's taught he came to visit the sick so Rashi what you add just quote the kazal he came to visit ab and ask him how he's doing what did Rashi add as it says he came to ask him how he's doing he's the one who Tau us that what did Rashi listen to what says until now ab's name is used Hashem spoke to AB Hashem appeared to and said where's the para begins and he appeared to him pronouns all of a sudden we forgot Nam for's name last week's appeared to himem spoke to himem said to him to to to and now V Hashem he appeared to him Hashem why not say V hasem A why do we change to a instead of invoking AR's name so says to answer all these questions why did hasem visit a because AB is a big influencer Hashem wanted to get a selfie with AB that AB would post on his page he's a big influencer everyone would see Millions would follow he was visiting a because he was theor the the giant of all the Giants no States explicitly in fact in cover we just began with we learned this comes from the there learns a story that the great left the to go visit a tal what do you mean let send let send the text WhatsApp message Leta write a note send a telegram the great Raba left the Med to go visit a simple student Andes from the you see that when it comes to visiting the there is no hierarchy there's no standing on ceremony there's no greater and lesser there's no Superior and inferior there's no richer and poorer there's no smarter and less smart everyone's equal every deserves support and a visit and in fact it's above the head of every sick person that the presence of Hashem can be found most intensely that is the tradition that we have that's why you don't fulfill the Mitzvah unless you offer a you could give a sponge bath you could smuggle into the hospital a pastaman club with mustard Russian dressing whatever you prefer you could mop the floor of the hospital room you could wet the lips you could change out the IV but if you leave the room without saying hasem give my good friend you've not fulfilled the Mitzvah of because hashem's in that room he's above the head he's right there present with the sick person and you're not going to turn to him you're not going to ask him you're not gonna do to him one has to DAV you don't fulfill the Mitzvah says that's why love Hashem because the Torah wants to communicate to us that Hashem didn't visit because aam is a high-profile dignitary prominent prestigious person why did Hashem visit because Hashem is present at the head of every those you've heard of and who are famous and those you've never heard of he was a pronoun generic ambiguous a love he was a love just a simple person Rashi jumped the gun before to say a love a love without using A's name does that for everybody oh also tell us that hem knew it was the third day after ab's V bris so he came to abam specifically to ask how he's doing but there two separate statements one is that Hashem came to AB knowing it's a and AR gave himself a bris at an advanced age and it was the third day and he came but even before then because a love Hashem does that to each and every one and so should we our concern and our care is not just for high-profile famous for those with whom we have a closest relationship every deserves our care our Attention our support our love I will tell you having been in AR and Israel for three days last week we focus on casualties 1400 unimaginable continuing to even still identify bodies and get gruesome reports yesterday am CL is learned of the fate of Luke that young woman German Israeli what happened to her we won't even mention but the casualties are not the only concern with 3,000 4,000 5,000 have injured those everyone deserve our daving our Attention our care our love our support v a love it's not just the ones who went famous who went viral who a video appears but every name love every person hasem visits Hashem is found at the head of each and every person and we too have to care for each and every from this war and in our lives Torah tells us what happens raises his eyes and he sees and there are three Angels standing over he goes and he runs toet from the opening of the tent where he's found and and bowed toward the ground bowed toward the ground okay we got a lot to say on this P we're going to make it past the second P we got a lot to say theala wonders we know that the Angels each came to fulfill their own because an angel who's really an extension Emissary a spark of the rebon is how Hashem is expressing and manifesting in the world a particular purpose a particular Mission and each one doesn't repeat they came for that reason so Three Angels they came destroy sedom and tell s was going to get pregnant save Lo and so on so one doubled up on the their mission the one that came to inquire ab's wellbeing to for him is the same angel that went to save L first of all what happened to the rule what happened to the principle Angels don't double up each one is a unique distinct mission number one number two why these why the same one who gave the why not the one who came to tell s she's pregnant moreover when hasem visited a is there a better doctor every Jew wants to get into the best doctor in the world best Hospital the best doctor the greatest M Jackie had his whole routine my doctor is so good you can't never get into s he had his whole routine so there's no greater doctor in the worldon himself came to visit a so someone then the angel came afterwards first the doctor came then the resident the world's greatest M the world's greatest doctor came and then the first year medical stool then the kid who's taking chemistry in high school came in Hashem himself visited then a Mal came and said that's gonna accomplish more thanm accomplished came what do you need a Mal then for the so says says we don't really understand the section properly did L deserve to be spared or saved from St no and we all know the story it's further in our Pasha L separates from his uncle L chooses to place his lot pun intended not with his righteous Uncle Aram but L puts his lot with the people of sto he wants to go live in this hdis morally corrupt decadent Society that's what appeals to him that's what he wants to be part of that's what he lives with so he doesn't deserve to be spared or saved after all that's where he put his lot their fate is his fate their consequence is his consequence that's who he choose to live with but what happened when said could I possibly conceal could I possibly deny a to know what I'm going to do what happened when a heard what was going to happen to sto what happened aam felt a great pain a was agitated you're going to destroy a whole city how could it be but a was also further it was compounded and my nephew loots among them you're going to destroy the whole city of sto and lo do you know what I put into that kid I paid for this whole Jewish Education that's like $5 million I clothed him I sent him to Camp that's another $5 million I had to constantly upgrade his phone that's like another $5 million but he said you know what I put into this kid lo I educated him I was patient with him I taught him I invested in him I risked my life for him the war the Four Kings the five Kings a says I only got involved in that war to liberate my nephew do you know what I put in do you know what I risked do you know what I gave up for this kid Lo and now you're GNA destroy sto and you destroy Lo with it I've taken him with me everywhere I went I to get him his own hotel room and now he's gonna get killed didn't save Lo because of Lo why didem save Lo because the same Mal that was concerned with's wellbeing that came for Thea of the bris is the same Mal that was concerned with A's wellbeing to save Lo they weren't two separate missions they're not two separate purposes they're one and the same a Z's wellbeing hem loves aam and he's concerned about aam so in aam's Merit for aam's righteousness he comes to heal him from his bris and he comes to spare Lo because of what that would have done to a sometimes the person has a physical ailment sometimes the person has a broken heart it's brokenhearted it's brokenhearted that's why the formulates it later remembered the whole effort the whole intervention to spare Lo was not because of lo lo was undeserving because L put his lot with stone why did he do it for aam and that's why it's the same Mal who goes and Spears both because L only survives in the Merit of a and here too there's a message for us people were daving for they're not L to put them in the same category to describe them that way but you see that when we say to the ronon I'm not daving and don't intervene and don't spare and don't care about others they Merit they don't Merit but I'm in pain I'm in anguish it hurts me my heart is broken my heart is broken so whatever Merit I might have I'm cashing it in because my heart is broken over the thought of those young men of those young soldiers on the front line my heart is broken on those families who are grieving my heart is broken over a nation and a people that are worried and anxious so whatever few merits whatever I might have my broken heart I'm incomplete and thus they're complete my life is interrupted as long as their life is interrupted we see from the precedent of L and that's what he talks about in the footnote here you see this notion of that because why would Hashem spare somebody else because of you we spoke about this in s Snippets last week or two weeks ago two weeks ago wonders how does it work you D for someone else who's sick now we're up to but two weeks ago so you say to the little you can insert in the middle of ding for the other person who's sick Hashem says buddy mind your own business when you're sick ding for yourself why should I change the other person's Fortune decree because of you you're doing what does one thing have to do with the other so references and that the core of ding of is that a person asks for your you ask for the things but you don't just say a script you don't just recite a template you don't just deliver what appears in the sitter you have to communicate to I need this I'm incomplete without it my heart is broken when you D for someone else it's not just the I got an email I'm on a WhatsApp group I saw a p hanging in the B Med i d for so and so it's not just a did it it's got to be has to be that you genuinely saym my heart is broken my heart is broken I'm screaming out in pain I they're not my children they're all our children they're all our family but I it's not directly related it's my I'm part of am I'm part of clel we go together a l was spared because a said this hurts me it's got to hurt all of us if the left foot is injured the right foot doesn't say I work fine I'm good to go the left foot is injured the right foot says it hurts me I'm wobbly I can't walk straight we can't walk straight until everyone's home till the captives are all home till the soldiers are all home we clra can't walk straight you see the the mechanics of how this works from Ab and from lot and from this Insight AB raises his eyes he raises his eyes in order to be able to see what is this notion so again Rashi he raises his eyes and he sees this says saw and it uses the word twice V he sees three men V and he sees them and he runs towards them okay we got it he saw them he raised his eyes and he saw them should say he raised his eyes Three Men and he ran to go greet them why does it have to say a second time he raised his eyes and he saw he saw and he ran to greet them what is the second time so say first time means literally he was looking down he wasn't scrolling or texting but he was looking down the second time came to understand he saw that they were hesitating they didn't want to bother him and even though they saw him coming out to greet them they remained where they were because they didn't want to disturb him so so says rash Twice first he noticed them and the second time he noticed about them that they weren't coming close because they didn't want to bother him and that's why he ran to them to be able to help V twice back to the LA of DRS new safer he says v v why twice Theos you know that there are those people you ever out with someone you're at a restaurant you're having coffee you're trying to talk to them and you notice they're looking around they're taking a lot and you're like hi yo over over here over here you know those people they just they just need to know everything going on they're watching they're listening they're observing yentes who are just focused on everything around so supposedly you're having coffee supposedly you're having lunch but you have to be like yo hi over here when you go out with them you always have to make sure they're taking the seat facing the wall you could face out strategic seating you have to have strategic seating in the restaurant otherwise they might as well go out by yourself you lost them so sayra Dr the AOS were not yentes g are not yentes they're present fully immersed and present in whatever they're doing they're looking down they're looking down and they're present and whatever they're doing they're always looking down and they're always focused they're present fully immersed in what they're doing when do they look up when there's a reason to look up when there's something to notice so your head's in the gamar somebody standing opposite you you look up and you greet them there's a reason to look up they're not yentas that need to follow everything in the world they look up when they need to look up so right when do we have it later then he looks up and he sees there's a ram he goes in the field and he's daving so when he's daving he's not is longer who said y already three seconds before I took my third step forward who who's the from who's that no he's he only no because he lifted his eyes so when it comes to Theos it never tells us they saw it tells us they lifted their eyes and they saw why because they weren't yentes they weren't looking around all the time they weren't distracted by the world they were focused they were present they were mindful they were immersed in wherever they were so much so that when there was something to see say first they had to lift their eyes in order to be able to see so now says according to this the Torah is coming to teach us is very happy wow nothing makes him happier than host and guests and when he saw that they weren't coming so say Dr you're reading the PK wrong he doesn't repeat the word v twice he lifted his eyes and he saw saw them he saw them and he ran towards them now he lifted his eyes and he saw them he didn't move his eyes off of looking at them the whole time he ran towards them they now became his new focus a moment ago he was looking down at the gamar but once he saw them now he ran while looking at them the same time so in the way of in the way of the they were not Y is looking all over they were always fully present focused whatever they were meant to be doing right then so V first it means he lifted his eyes ah I have an opportunity now as he ran V again this is all he saw whatever he was meant to be doing that's all he saw you go to the park somebody's pushing their children their grandchildren on the swing while they're scrolling while they're texting they're not there they're absent present not Theos no when you're on the you're pushing the kid when you're on the floor playing with the child you're playing with the child when you're at the pass you're at the par whatever we're doing we're fully immersed in what we're doing to the point that you'd have to lift our eyes in order to be able to shift Us in order to be able to in order to be able to see you have to lift the eyes uh okay the understands same it's a very funny l in this he lifts his eyes and he sees the three men are what word is peculiar in this P they are Nim love were they standing on his head sitting on his shoulders love means on him what is the word van standing over him leave out the word we would have understood the P the same way lift his eyes the word too what do we care about their pasture he lifted his eyes and he saw that there were three men and he ran to go greet them so understands says the it's descriptive you know a good author who draws you into a novel The more adjectives the more they depict the scene the more they draw you in to what was happening the more connected you feel so it says the to is trying to paint the picture wants you to understand the scene is sitting he's in recovery he's recovering from the surgery they just walked up they're standing so love they're standing and looking aam is sitting so it says they stood over him they want to see aam's looking oh welcome shal he's sitting and he sees them they stand that's all that's the Rashi understands they were standing not over a but Allah is an expr ex of respect to the why Allah means they're Superior human beings are fallible human beings have we have free will human beings make mistake human beings are are perfect so in that sense says Rashi the stand over him in the sense that to a degree they're Superior it's respect show respect love over him the radak and Theo explain the angel still still they were looking and waiting for instructions from a what to do next so they show up they're standing over him silently waiting no say something what's next where does the story go writes you know if you ever trying to get someone's attention they're looking down at their phone they're looking down their eyes are immersed in the gar and you're trying to get their attention you're you're standing there over them waiting for the person to look up and engage you so a lot of different interpretations of what means but I want to share with you from the my friend David silverberg quoted this who was the sh epim of sat the shim and he says a very very powerful and important idea he says the following there's a concept in social psychology that works as follows a person who driving on the on the uh Highway and there's a car accident but someone keeps driving you didn't call the police you're walking to sh and there's garbage on the path there's garbage on the parking lot what did you do keep walking don't bend down and pick it up H says we need a volunteer who's willing to the Shiva Minion short to can anyone please go every one looks down why does that happen why didn't someone pick up the phone and call the police why don't you pick down pick up the garbage why don't you volunteer so it's called in social psychology diffusion of responsibility or they call it the bystander effect sometimes it happens in large groups sometimes it's a committee but when it's more than one person everyone assumes someone else will take care of it someone else is running with it someone else will do it it's a very dangerous phenomenon it leads to group think and disengagement or risk-taking behavior because the whole Committee just assumes it's someone else's problem someone else will do it someone else will take the responsibility says the shave what does it mean what does it mean that they're standing over him why doesn't it say they were standing of before him what is a love over him because never was compromised Abu never was vulnerable to the phenomenon of the diffusion of responsibility or the bystander effect AR felt whatever task there is to get done it's Weighing on him it's standing on him it's for him to do how knew how to take he didn't point fingers he didn't assign or delegate he didn't wait for others he didn't assume someone else would do it whatever task there was to get done whatever responsibility there was it was it was on his shoulders it was standing over him he's sitting at P understands what is p it means the beginning of his spiritual journey is humble and modest he sees himself in his purpose of being of service to others so what happens he jumps up to get involved why does he jump up to help because it's this is his job it's his it's his responsibility it is sitting on him it's Weighing on him it's Weighing on him that's the attitude that we have to have somebody needs to Z that needs to be visited there's an a that needs there's money that's needed to be raised for displaced people in Israel it's not someone else's problem don't wait for someone else to collect the supplies or pack the duffles orle them to the airport it's on each and every one of us we are the pro ofu and to be the children ofu means to know how to take a means to know how to live with a sense of love it's Weighing on me not waiting for someone else jump up jump in say Al it's on me follow me I got it teaching us and that is part of the Legacy that he leaves us and gives us to be the children is to know how to live with an attitude of no bystander effect no diffusion of responsibility no waiting for someone else to do it you walk by garbage you pick it up you saw something you need to call call the police someone needs a visit or support here I am here I am he as we see from ainu later in the para as well what does ainu offer offer them what does he offer them he says please take some take some water take some water wash your feet and lean against the tree and I'll go get a meal for you in the meantime we'll get you all situated we'll get you all so what's the first thing that does have a little water why and wash your feet why why a little water one back inash tells us what was the purpose of the water was this like Co was spreading so he was purel put on your mask purel your hands don't come in my tent until you test are you vaccinated well why is he giving out water he thought these were Arab Nomads Wanderers idolators and he said don't come into my tent with your idolatry wash that idolatry off your feet okay so first of all what a very powerful image the same person who's about to D is the king of welcomes all guests Jewish non-jewish recognizes them they're complete strangers but what does he not do despite this incredible love generosity selflessness he does not risk compromising his own home so he says I love you I welcome you I want you but you got to leave the aara at the door wash off the aara don't bring the images the icons the ideas the influences into my house leave it outside you're welcome you're invited to the Sho to my home into our schools but the influences the images the icons the idolatry wash it off you got to wash it off you can't bring it in so lest we think that aam is just extreme welcoming it also is tempered by a healthy balance of you got to wash off the foreign influence before you come in but one do we know when it comes toim is a stingy everything a does he does how the generously in abundance says he gave we have three of he gave three types of of tongue tongue and mustard happens to be I don't need tongue I have a policy I don't taste anything that tastes you back you see that tongue you see the taste buds you ever see tongue the taste buds it looks I don't need anything that's still looks like the way it looked when it was on the animal okay that's my hangup my wife loves loves tongue so the people who love tongue honey mustard tongue tongue with mustard it's a real delicacy if you really love the guest for you Splurge tongue if you really love me pastrami corn beef if you really love me I give you a whole list of other things but anyway AB aino is a tongue guy so he the Mal were tongue people so what does the PK describes o in abundance not one tongue not half a tongue not the tongue on S not the tongue in the freezer three types of mustard tongue heed three how do you get three tongues you didn't find a cow that had three tongues if you have three tongues what does it mean sh the three animals aru is incredibly generous magnanimous everything is in abundance except for when it came to the water to wash off the a little bit of water all of a sudden he became stingy all of a sudden he holds back so such a beautiful idea you know we sometimes think that if you're going to transfer you're going to purge aara you're going to get rid of those foreign ideas and influences and thoughts we're going to purge we're going to cast ourselves we're goingon to become more pure in our worship in our service of Hashem it's going to take an enormous amount you know what it takes to get rid of all that it can get washed off with a little bit of water he doesn't say it here but I'll add Torah tell us Torah so maybe to get rid of even a whole lot of go wash it away with even a little bit of Tor sitting in the base Mees for one hour you could cleanse and Purge all those contaminating ideas a lifetime of mistakes of confusion of idolatry a little bit of Torah maybe it only takes a little bit a little bit just takes a little bit then he goes on he has another explanation but I want to share with you something else says when did this happen Rashi says it's to get rid of thei has a different interpretation Ki writes this all occurred during the season of the Desert Winds known as the Shara Hashem made that day incredibly hot so the feet of The Travelers would be soaked in sand and sweat so this had nothing to do with understands they came in their feet were sweaty disgusting sand was sticking to their sweaty feet I was in ofakim last week the south of Israel it's almost November it was hot as anything where was sitting it was a was a son so was here's a hose rinse your feet off S doesn't like it when the guests get the the carpet dirty so I don't want to get in trouble with Sarah in a minute we'll see everything she tells me I have to listen to one of the things she told me is you have all those guests make sure they wipe their feet at the door so is there's a little mat wipe your feet at the door or wonders what kind of idolatry is this here's a little water wash off your feet because these are these are idolators and what's their form of idolatry what do they worship aak means the dust of now you're not allow to worship anything butm is the omnipotent all powerful only it's ridiculous to worship anything I don't understand even the havan to worship the Sun the moon and the stars to worship celebrities and athletes to worship money and power we don't even begin to understand it but maybe a little bit but to worship dust of the ground dust of the feet what kind of what kind of worship is that mark your calendar one week from last night Monday night November 6th the G rash is coming a Tish for men 8:30 Riva very special very wonderful he's coming he'll be here right in the spot in person next Monday night he quotes the is the shin of and he says not only is it not lunacy not only is it not absurd not only is it not ridiculous we all worship the same AAR holy Shin we worship the same aara I never took off my shoes and bowed down to them I never took the map filled with dust and started worshiping it what does it mean says the sh these idolators were Merchants business people they traveled and they ran around and they did business selling their Wares growing customers marketing they were constantly on the Run constantly full of activity constantly busy do you know what it means that they bow down to aakam it means they worshiped at the altar of busyness they constantly needed to feel busy busy busy running running running doing doing doing going going going they were worshiping their own effort worshiping their own initiative worshiping their own they were obsessed and addicted to running around to staying busy they were always kicking up the dust just sit sit Yami says he doesn't quote this says that all week long the righteous they look like shabas all week what does that mean it means we all week long we're running running going going doing doing shabas we sit we breathe we can experience Serenity and peacefulness but the the righteous they're able to the entire week this connects to what we saw about the the righteous they're calm they're Serene they're tranquil they're not running running running busy busy busy whatever they're doing is what they're meant to be doing in that moment calmly serenely but we many of us we're running running running busy busy busy we're worshiping at the altar of our effort of our initiative of kicking up dust of thinking that our success directly correlates to our activity you know why I do well you know why I was successful because I was so busy busy busy busy business today is a commodity you meet people you say how are you before the war how are you how am I crazy busy psycho busy insanely busy well you must be important you're busy you must be special you're busy you must be superior because you're so busy we think business is a commodity what's really the best and the holiest to say how are you doing peaceful managing fully present in whatever I'm doing that's what's more impressive how are you doing I'm great I'm fully present in this conversation with you are you crazy busy no I do what I need to get done and I'm fully present in whatever it is at that moment and whatever happens is up to Hashem My Success my productivity we confuse we confuse business with productivity being super busy does not equal being super productive but we are a generation addicted to and worshiping busyness kicking up the dust that's idolatry people tie their self worth to how busy they are crazy busy psycho busy insanely busy so busy I don't sleep do you know how little I sleep are we supposed to be impressed by that that's not impressive that means you don't have your life all together get it together and get enough sleep and you'll be more productive less busy and more productive aam says to his guests wash your feet stop kicking up so much dust stop being so busy and be more productive says our home should always be open to Great like the and sit in the dust of their feet why did specifically draw the the image the picture of sit at the dust of their feet make your home welcoming and open our community bar welcomes tremendous righteous men and women Scholars we invite them we welcome them and then we sit at the dust of their feet we drink in their words with thirst simple understanding is that the rabbi the teacher used to sit in a chair students would sit at the floor so you were at the dust of their feet but then the mishna why didn't the mishna say so explicitly connect making yourself dust with the dust of their feet means sit at their feet and learn go to Every she every opportunity So based on the sh Al suggest maybe the mishna means if you're going to attach yourself to business Let It Be Noble activity and movement if you're G to not be sleeping let it be because you're working on behalf of the M day and night if you're gonna be running and kicking up dust be kicking up the dust of repairing the world Redeeming the world making the world a better place caring about others don't kick up dust because you're trying to earn more more money own more things nothing wrong with that do well and enjoy the things that hasem has given us nothing wrong with that but if you're going to kicking up dust if you're G to worship at the altar of being busy make your living but kick up dust and be busy with the of running to the next she the next opportunity the next volunteering the next how we can influence the mat in so what's the antidote to wor worshiping the altar of bus says the shin where did tell him to go it just takes a little Torah T wash off all that wash up wash off the busyness and kicking up dust and where should you go and go sit lean on the tree what's a tree the tree of Torah you want to be busy with something be busy with Torah be busy with Torah be busy with Torah that's your job hasm wants you to be successful you'll be successful stop being so busy which which tree the tree of Torah the tree of yides kite that should be our only form and our only sense of of busyness what an incredible Shin what a beautiful Insight of the r on the sh says looking at the the cruelty of St is portrayed in terms of Cruelty to guests and strangers in contrast aam's kindness expressed itself particularly in there are many ways to practice kindness why is welcoming guest so emphasized here so says is often for the poor a rich man is in no need of hospitality he can find an in or a place to stay differs from or material help to others in a crucial way giving demonstrates sympathy demonstrates full human equality the belief that every being has dignity and is just as important as any other it's much easier to give someone money and send them away than invite him under your own roof if I invite him in it means no matter what the situation in life I'm treating him with respect as an equal is symbolic of our personal relationship the understanding that all Jews are Ben princes regardless of differences or wealth or knowledge that's why the Torah gives us this picture of aam it doesn't we know that a becomes G he fulfills the BR ofm he becomes very wealthy but it doesn't say was a big Veer he sat and he wrote checks and line went out of his tent and he just wrote checks it was a big Veer the r says you know it specifically tells us because writing checks that's easy if you have the money it's easy it's not so easy it's plenty of people who have the money they' give you the kidney before they'll give you a check for money not so easy for some not so easy for some but it's easier it's easier to write a check and give money than say is your guest room available do you clean the sheets out have a towel can you put out food I tell you we have a thousand families in our Sho and sadly you know how much we struggle for our Hospitality committee to get people who say when you get a call I have a room I have a seat at my table it's a small nucleus of incredible people who every time say sure happy to host anyone sure happy to have them for a meal say will will you sponsor a meal you know there's people have relocated from the south from the north sure how much here's my credit card number will you host someone I would I could I can't I want I won't all of a sudden it becomes much harder so were celebrated for because that's the where you really have to be selfless and that's the where you're really making other people feel they're your equal equal seat at the table equal presence and opportunity in the home at your house they described as we'll skip this one the Rashi quotes two sides of a coin were minted the young A and S and the other the old a why was the minted coin their young age and their older age what does that mean we'll come back to I guess next year moving far along we're skipping St is destroyed I was thinking about I'm gonna write my article stone is destroyed a teaches us the righteousness of standing up for someone for something to protest to see what's happening on college campuses where are all the people who started the me too movement where are all the people with black lives matter where are the people who supposedly stand up for underdogs who stand for justice where are all these movements and the hashtags as Jews on college campuses have to hide in their I want to know what the world would do if black students were told that the black student center is being closed down because we can't protect you there and black students are being worn stay in your your room what would happen if LGBT students were told the LGBT student center is closed because we can't protect you what would happen on Cornell and Cooper Union in Columbia and Harvard what would the world's reaction be what would the messaging out of the way what would what would it be if black students gay students what would happen if Muslim Students were told the Muslim Student Center is being closed because we can't protect you and Muslim Students stay in your room because we're worried for you to go out you tell me what the world would look like it'd be turned upside down but the Jew for the Jew the press conference we put out a press release criticize anti-Semitism islamophobia all forms of hate scary it's very scary it's very scary but I have to tell you it's also a powerful message to us how many of us when others were being hated raise our voice when while while we are the Target and the victim and and the painful silence and indifference of too many in the world should also remind us that the next time there are other victims we should raise our voice you know yesterday I came out of my house and the landscaper was cut in the lawn in front of my house and on his lawn mower were Israeli Flags now again Montoya Circle is not super courageous to have Israeli flags on your lawn mower you know he's cutting all of his customers our block but but he's not my my my my landscaper is not Jewish I'm fairly confident but you know what for a minute I was like wow thank you want to give him a hug it means something are we willing to fly the flag literally or figuratively of other peoples when they are targeted the experiencing we're going through right now should also remind us next time someone else is hurting that we the Jewish people should be the most vocal and flying a flag I'm not even giving a description of who they are who they were who they will be whoever they are unfortunately in this world that opportunity will present itself if we're really the progy of aino even if they're Stone we should speak up on their behalf because aam protests even for the people of sto you don't have to read my article I just practiced it on you that's what I'm gonna if I have a few minutes that's what I want to write par 1917 so sto is destroyed move over to par test lo lo is saved when Lo is saved he told don't look back don't look back don't turn around flee the mountain lest you be slept swept away why can't he turn around Al Don't Look Back why not and what happens to his wife she turns into a pillar of salt so says you know why she turned into a pillar of salt because she was cheap and stingy and when the guest said can I have a little salt nah not sharing my salt with you maybe she was insulted that her food needed Salt it's always not so P how do you sneak a little salt without the whoever made the food noticing unless you're the chef then you could put salt in whatever you want because you made the food that's one of the kindnesses a Hostess can do they could say you know the soup could use a little salt I'm adding anyone else could add to even then it's not wise if you're married to the hostess to you say no no no no it's delicious it's perfect doesn't need anything I'll take it just the way it is so aa's Lo wouldn't share her salt so she turned into a pillar of salt because she wouldn't share her saltash but say of Dr and others you know why she turned into a pillar of salt when you turn around what does salt do it's a preservative salt is a preservative it preserves it freezes it it makes stay exactly at that moment so when Lo's wife turns around what is she looking at she says I I I want to be with the people of sto I had good times in STO a lot of nostalgia about sto I love sto sto is where I'm from sto is who I am I miss sto what happened you miss sto you're nostalgic for sto sto is where you're from and who you are you're now a pillar of salt you are now permanently sealed with St you are preserved through Salt with stone that's one interpretation has another interpretation and he says when you survive destruction when a person survives destruction they need to not look back and get stuck at what happened they need to forge forward and rebuild what needs to be built when one suffers destruction they should learn from it they should grieve and mourn it but not perseverate on it and get stuck in it because you need to rebuild the trip family had no for Jonah a few weeks ago and uh was tough to make a Sim during this trying time but Benji spoke his parents were survivors and he mentioned I had never heard this Theory before many survivors didn't share their story for not years decades they didn't share it with their children they only would share it with their grandchildren why was that there are a lot of theories they didn't want to deposit it onto the second gener there's a lot of theories he offered an interesting Theory and his theory was until they secured a future survivors weren't ready to talk about the past so it took 30 or 40 or 50 years and their children weren't enough until it could be a grandchild they were telling the story to they knew there was a continuity and there was a future until they knew and saw a future they couldn't even talk about or address or focus on the past and sayar of Dr that's what's going on here Stone went up and flam Stone was destroyed but before you turn around before you get stuck looking at and thinking about the past the destruction that you endured turn to the Future build that future what's the next chapter what's the next phase October 7th will never forget we're constantly looking back at there's a lot to look at I just saw today online they produced a map of October 7th where you can go see all the cities and there's a DOT for every casualty you could see exactly how far they went It's haunting haunting haunting we'll never forget October 7th but you hear the Army you hear the Prime Minister you hear what comes out of Israel we'll never forget October 7th but right now we're looking forward to getting rid of the perpetrators who did it to the next chapter of clel of AK and amuna to come together to bring Messiah we don't forget the past but we don't get stuck turning around we don't get stuck looking behind us we have to forge forward the next chapter and what's next sahu gives a a message andem tells AB everything Sarah tells yeah listen to her voice although the Torah and certainly the med provide extensive information about Theos Theos Ro is more obscure in fact however Sor was an equal partner with AB in the Covenant rash comments that AB was actually inferior to s with respect to prophecy when hasem informed AB that s was to Bear him a son he said but your wife Sor will bear you a son and you'll name him Y and I'll establish my bris with him the key emphasis on the word a but which follows the reference to the fact that AB already had a son from another wife but AAL he's told he will not be the son son to continue his legacy the Covenant continues specifically through because y emerged from both AR and Sarah there can be no Covenant without SAR there is no Covenant without Sarah Sarah is a Sarah is a there is no aam without Sor in fact we know from next week's paraa that once SAR dies there is no the r wres it's interesting that although aam survived Sarah by 38 years his historical role came to an end with Sarah's passing y leaves the stage together with Rifka yob relinquishes his role to yose with the untimely death of Rael without there is no no if not RKA no yob without Theos are insignificant they become invisible once they lose the imos who holds who's the strength it's the imos it's the imos and don't tell me this is apologetics we're the farthest thing from a misogynistic people the Torah has an enormous gender bias it's just bias against the men because the Torah tells us over and over how pathetic men are if not for their wives 38 years AB lives without s but you don't hear anything from him he disappears from the stage of History because it's the when we sat with the community last week of SCH of been displaced to they talked about even the Warriors who grabbed their gun to go fight to save their yeshu and others they talked about their wives it was all their wives who were the strength their wives who watched the children their wives who went to the safe rooms their wives who themselves took up a gun to protect their family it was this it is the wives and that's anything listen to her because SAR is the one SAR is the one AA we didn't get to the AA the end of the para calls and the answer is here I am here I am but twice and it was after these things that tested he called him he said here I am now later he's gonna call him a Ab so why here does he call him abam once and later he's gonna call him a Ab why twice we have time for one last thought okay one last thought so writes AB gets older is born to Hashem turns to him and he says I got one last test for you the 10th test the greatest of all the tests why is this test introduced and it was it's like the narrator the narrator of the fills in and says and it was just picture the narrator's voice and it was after these things and then the story turns to and Hashem told calls a and he says and he tells him do that why do you need a narrator all of a sudden the Torah has a narrator between scenes and it was after these things says everyone has difficult times sometimes the person feels I'm done after these things I'm done I'm finished I'm toast I'm spent I'm exhausted I got nothing left I feel like I'm in AA of person goes through a challenge a suffering a loss and anguish a crushed dream person's tired they're just older they're tired a person could be in a stage of Life said there says a stage of Life of after all this after all these things I'm done so says again this is from the he didn't say it explicitly on the par but it's derived from the teachings the person lives withness means very small mind small Vision person Retreats and recoils into a small sense of self small amuna I'm crushed tired I'm exhausted I'm spent I got nothing left to dream and to have vision and to go change the world but it's in those moments that the word the same word for test also means a means a banner a is a flag n what does it mean doesn't mean a miracle what does a n mean a banner a flag when we feel like I'm crushed I'm spent I'm exhausted I got nothing left I'm done you got to lift the banner of what the in you we make a every day we invoke but sealed in us there is a piece of a in each and every one of us we have the ability like a that even after we can raise the banner we're not done we're not finished we're not finished we're not complete there's more to do there's more to do how do you do it what was the if we turn outward and we do we care for others we'll find in ourselves not we're not finished we're not done we're not retired our best is yet to come we're just getting started there's so much more there's so much more to impact the world there's more for us to do and how does aam a moment ago it says a moment ago it's after all these things and now it's h says I thought I was spent I thought I was exhausted I thought I was retired I thought I was done I thought my book was complete but he went from to a sense of here I am what needs to be done let's get it done we didn't answer first he calls love he calls him once a but later when the angel calls says calls him a a why does he say his name twice later and here the introduction to the a he says his name once I guess we'll leave that in mitem for next year tomorrow we have living with until next time may we hear yesh don't forget please stay for tum we're gonna complete all tum 30 people stay it'll take five minutes each person takes that day do you want to get a flag for your car five proceeds go to the IDF