Parsha Perspectives for Today (Yisro, 5783/2023) - The View From Space

up okay good morning Poker Tour welcome back to posture perspectives for today as always we thank our generous sponsors Becky and Avi cats and family in memory of David Grossman the Nationals this morning she was also sponsored by Judith Rose and Judy Rose in a memory over by Marvin Rosenberg I remember very well the summer should have an Aliyah also dedicated by Carol Lerman two Rabbi Goldberg for his enthusiasm with genuine love for Hashem good looks charm she didn't say that that's just I assume it was meant as well so I put that in thank you so much that's very generous and kind and by Karen strollow it's a memory of Ira Lewinsky the zero type was the 14th of Shabbat thank you so much to all of our generous uh sponsors of course our learning is always that Hashem should show her love and kindness and her parents tremendous strength pasha's sister page 394. we are now transitioning from the Jewish people as a slave Nation Jewish people who are subjugated oppressed and persecuted in the hands of others Paro and the mitrim and now they are beginning to forge their own destiny they have now been taken out the shalach Hashem took them but now they're out they're out of mithrayim they're trying to take mithram out of them and that is a big part of the rest of safer shmos they are geographically out of mitraim but how does Hashem take mitzrayim out of them assimilated people the cultured people the people whose values are still uh influenced by their Egyptian hosts whom they had spent Centuries with and it can mold and shape them in so many ways how do they get away so we begin this is a Parsha name for a non-jew but he's the ordinary non-judius there was an exceptional individual someone who had studied comparative religion would experimented with every form of relationship or connection to God a God and he came to the correct conclusion he was the first what we call Jew by choice he made the choice he wasn't born into it he wasn't forced into it he was made the choice to join it and in that way he becomes the eyes and ears of the Jewish people moshrabenu begs him to stay later in the Torah don't go don't go you represent such a refreshing perspective you chose this you weren't obligated you weren't forced or coerced you weren't born into it you chose it and we need to keep you around we need to have you around yes excels at this character trait that is the very opening word of our pasture we're not going to delve into it today we have discussed it at length in the past and you can find it online but his main character trait what is it that predisposes him to ultimately land and be in that place of wanting to join the Jewish people excels at something which is an increasingly Lost Art in our time and that is he's an exceptional listener he's an active listener not a passive listener he knows how to listen he knows how to hear and because he listens and he hears he hears things beneath the surface office he doesn't just read the same headlines as everyone else but he understands the depth of what's going on and it moves him it moves him quite literally it moves him to move to join the Jewish people that's the opening because the pasig itself tells us what you so heard is all that God had done for Moshe and the Jewish people that God took the Jewish people out of Egypt so what do you mean what's Russia's question what did he hear that made him come the text itself gives us the answer why would Rashi leave it as an open question the commentators point out Rashi was not bothered by mashmah what did he hear everyone heard everywhere in the world they heard it was the headline it was the front page it was the cover story it was the banner it was everything everyone heard what was the difference between yeso and everyone else everyone else sipped their coffee ate their cereal and turned the page of the newspaper Sharma but yes and he got up and he said wow there is something extraordinary happening there's something special happening and there's a big debate what did he hear was it the splitting of the sea was it the giving of the Torah was it the war with amalek what did he here but he heard something that made him say there's something unusual going on I need to join these people I need a closer look I need to see what's really happening there's something bigger than me and us and here and now and I want to be part of it I want to understand that I want to experience it I want a front row see to it and he gets up and he goes one of the big lessons of parsh ISRO is not to be a spectator in life not to watch and understand and inculcate superficially but to plumb The Depths to analyze and evaluate to seek to really listen to understand and to be moved to change to grow to transform as a result not to be static or stagnant and not to read the newspaper or the news as an outsider massive earthquakes in Turkey more than five thousand people killed horrific tragedy what does that mean what is its message what are we meant to do how are we meant to react when something significant happens it should it should shake us and that's why Israel maybe appears before matantara even if chronologically he only arrived after because one of the 48 ways the Torah is acquired is the capacity to listen if you only listen superficially if you come to the partnership and you're playing your phone in the meantime you tune out in the meantime you take a nap in the middle of it in the meantime then you're going to come out and the message is they're not mine but the messages of our sacred Torah and our great teachings they're not going to move you or shake you they're not going to improve you or repair you they're not going to redeem you but if like ISRO we Excel and we grow in that's one of the 48 ways torah's acquired to be a good listener you have to listen listen to the messages listen to The People speaking listen to the way the world the nature speaking Hashem through all of that is speaking to us literally and that's what we're not speaking about of pascist ISRO at the the very beginning so where are we starting Zion so Israel is moved he comes you arrives with sippora and her two sons gershom and Eliezer only now are we given their names is told he says and your wife and my two and your two sons they're with me but it's emotional across close out to greet his father-in-law he bows down he kisses him they exchange greetings and they come to the tent and now Moshe begins to tell him you're not going to believe what's been good since I last saw you you won't believe what's been happening I have to fill you in notes let's start off right away with an oatsu plus wow what an Entourage doesn't go to greet him all alone I'll be back in a minute I gotta go pick up my Shire from the airport an enormous Entourage a huge group with him to be able to go and to greet his father-in-law our own the 70 elders some say the orange itself went with them the measure says the measure says not only did all all of these people Not only was a major greeting the Diplomatic Mission lands there's the red carpet there are the trumpets and they're the corresponding diplomats on the other side all the layers of the administration does it okay you landed we'll meet at the palace we'll meet at the White House we'll meet at the residence we'll meet what's the whole Pomp and Circumstance of the greeting of the meeting what's that really all about because that shows honor there's an honor God it's honor it's dignity so Moshe goes out doesn't go out alone he brings a big group with him maybe even the arum maybe even the Arun what I mean the Arun what Aaron when did he come before after maybe is up I never heard of it a safer called dove are based in somewhere and he says are you allowed to remove the Torah in order to greet a non-jewish priest this is not Ephraim Goldberg nobody has to call all the controversy back this is not me this is who says what do you see from here at the time that ISRO arrived he wasn't a gift when you saw first came he wasn't a righteous convert when Esau first came his beard and peace hadn't grown in yet he wasn't wearing a yamaka yet when Israel first arrived he is a priest of Midian who had experimented with every religion in the world and yet such dignity such honor is bestowed upon him maybe even they are on going out and what do you see from here says a dying the comer Not only was he non-jewish at the time he was a priest and they brought the you could bring the Torah out of the Ark in order to go greet in order to make a parade in order to welcome the president's visiting if a non-jewish great world dignitary or leader is visiting you could take the Torah out of the oron in order to be able to emphasize how significant how important how big a moment it is you could take the Torah out of the Ark in order to welcome a non-jewish leader non-jewish dignitary even a priest a shul could host a priest and bring the Torah out to show honor if they're coming to advance and support the Jewish interest enough said I don't need to go any further there those who know no those who don't know God bless you you're lucky comes along Israel and he says wow doesn't just join the people Jewish people he joins a girl's seminary in the Jewish people Hashem also yes I was talking like a Jew a minute ago he was the non-jourish priest who were taking the Torah out for him and now he's offering a huge Barak Hashem what do you see from this is wow what a disgrace for the Jewish people that all six hundred thousand which really translated to two to three million people Moshe and our own the shims the Canaan nobody had said barah Hashem until yesterday shows up on the scene finds out what happened here's the stories of the Miracles and says Hashem the Akasha all of them a fresher mask what do you mean nobody not Moshe not Arrow not the Canim what do you mean now another two to three million people said what did we just read last week what did we just sing in last week's Parsha we sang the Shira Moshe Miriam and the women they danced they played their instruments the men they sang the azashir what do you mean no one said Hashem until yesterday came didn't they all say the Shira didn't they all said the Shira so my good friend remember shared with me an incredible incredible division he says the following this is an amazing idea it was worth coming just for this idea it's worth knowing mersoff just for this idea you know yes sir introduced that nobody had done until then it's true the Jewish people sang Shira it's true there were those who came before yes thank you Hashem but until now everyone said Thank You Hashem you know why they said thank you Hashem you know what moved them and motivated to say thank you Hashem you know for whom they were saying thank you Hashem for themselves Hashem you made a miracle Hashem it worked out Hashem we got good news Hashem the results came in and everything's benign everything's good everyone's healthy Hashem thank you Hashem everyone's saying it thank you Hashem for me my child my grandchild thank you my partner my health my fertility my my family who was the first who said Thank You Hashem for what you did for him Yeshua was the first who showed up says I I was watching from home I don't know if you watched Fox News or CNN or MSNBC I don't know what Mr I'm not going to say I don't know which one he watched I don't know which one he watched but he said I saw the news so everyone else that's nice for them good for the Jews they got away again good for the Jews that worked out again for them yes sir doesn't say that he says you did something amazing for someone else has Sadiq and righteous people the relationship with Hashem both when they beg and they plead and they Daven and when they say thank you does not come from a place of does not come from a place of for me it comes from Hashem you're amazing and when I see you being amazing whether it's for me or whether it's for someone else I say thank you Hashem no matter what yisra was the first to introduce them the Jewish people we know this is the parish we're going to see it in a few ways today one of which the most famous it's in the logo of the great Boca Raton Synagogue believer card it describes the Jewish people in the singular they encamped Israel Negative they but not they in the plural they in the singular encamped opposite the mountain because we were like one people with one heart eight manyanim I'm a Shabbos morning the other thing this yamaka that hair covering nowhere covering driving here from from birth all different types of Jews maybe you see differences we only see similarities we're part of one big happy family maybe brothers or sisters emerge to be different different lives the lifestyles different ashkaphas but all we see is that we're brothers and sisters all we see is that we're United as one family all we have is so that was a prerequisite to gabala Satora before Hashem could give the Torah he had to see us be one live as one feel as one we had to be one we had to function as one that's why what's the birhasa Torah what's the order of the birkasatara first be a people be a people be a family love one another and also and then I'll give you the Torah but I'm not going to give you the Torah to you for you to weaponize it I'm not going to give you the Torah for you to divide with it I'm not going to give you the Torah to feel judgmental Superior holier than thou critical that's not why I'm giving you the Torah the United B1 function as a family a functional family love one another and I'm going to give you the Torah to further unite and to enrich and to elevate and to elevate arvas what's an arav and arav is a guarantor and what is a guarantor you go to the bank you want to take out a loan but you have terrible credit so you come to me and you say will you sign as a guarantor on the loan I say sure what am I signing when I'm a guarantor on the loan if you default if you don't pay who do they come to they come to me hopefully you pay and it doesn't affect me in Iota but if you don't I've got your back if you don't it will cost me and I'm willing to put my neck on the line I'm willing to put skin on the game I'm willing to have your back commercials when I dab in for myself it's obvious I'm dominating why it's my need I go to the doctor I go to the lawyer I go to the financial advisor and I go to Hashem because it's my need I have to take the steps I have to take the initiative I have to do the things that I need because it's my need but when I go to Hashem for you I'm going as a guarantor Hashem make them healthy don't make them healthy I like having them around I prefer having them around but it doesn't impact my longevity but I'm going because I care about them I'm their guarantor I have their back I'm protesting I'm objecting I'm begging I'm asking I'm thanking because I care I have their back because hear my voice hear your voice because your voice is array what does the word mean in that context means sweet it means sweet Jewish people are guarantor is one for the other and when we guarantee one another we sweeten each other's lives Jews are meant to make each other's lives sweeter all too often we make each other's lives more bitter bitter resentment better complaints bitter Envy bitter jealousy bitter judgment but we're not supposed to Bitter one another's lives we are here to sweeten one another's lives how can I make your life sweeter how can I make your experience sweeter how can I relieve your suffering and replace it with sweetness sweetness means when does Hashem listen to us to artillos not when the trila is for ourselves and about ourselves when does he listen to us when we're using our voice as a guarantee for the other sashem I'd like to talk to you not about me not about my children I want to talk to you about my neighbor I want to talk to you about my friend I want to talk to you about someone in my community I'm not even so close with but we're all rallying around when we use our when we use our voice to be in our Rave to be a guarantor that's when Hashem listens and that's what yesro introduced to the world Moshe tells you so the whole story you won't believe it it's incredible what happened and then we got stuck we thought it was all over and all of a sudden the sea opened up you won't believe it and what does Israel say that's nice for you those things never happened to me he wasn't Jewish so he didn't say that he said that's amazing that's amazing wow that's incredible Hashem he saved you from the Egyptians so I'm so happy for you Hashem thank you so much for saving these people that I'm not yet part of but thank you so much so that's incredible that's what he introduced sauce Israel he wasn't a Jew he wasn't born a Jew he wasn't yet a Jew nevertheless um thank you for what you did for me yes thank you for what you did for another and he was the first to do that that's what he introduced to the world and that that's more precious to Hashem that's more beloved to Hashem that Hashem listens to Nar Hashem cares about many multifold now the basis added to this said it's more than that ISRO was one of the advisors of Paro you know the measures tells us that Paro had three advisors you throw who knows the others eov so yes I was born of power's advisors the high alola smoke it's not just that Israel showed the capacity to be happy for someone else to worry about someone else it's that yes or did that when he could have been happy for himself he could have and should have had the same demise as Paro he was a member of paro's cabinet if power and his cabinet all went down he should have gone down with them and he should have been thankful for thank you Hashem you saved my life but he didn't nevertheless Israel he could have and should have been happy for himself to be happy for someone else when it had nothing to do with you is amazing to be happy for someone else when you could have and should have been happy even for yourself wow that's remarkable that's extraordinary this is amida that we learned from yiso it is something outstanding base what does he do now he's ready to be a Jew because how does he celebrate all these miracles with lunch with dinner it's time for a meal it's time for a suda so yesterday's father-in-law so interesting how the pressure keeps identifying him that way as if I could forget how short is our memory from the opening passlock that we can't remember that Israel's moshe's father-in-law he has to keep the Taurus to keep identifying him that way so yes father in law in case you forgot brings all those welcome to God Aaron and Israel come to break bread with Jose Elohim and then last year two years ago we spoke about this why what is the role of the goshness of the food what's it doing over here why now but the ramban says something amazing what's up plus you know what this what this meal was this was the brismila meal the stomach bagels cream cheese and locks it was a proper brisk it was fleshex I don't know if they splurged on the omelet guy but it was the briss meal of who who's bris Israel ramban writes this was not immediately this was after he was with them first for several days then this guy Airtel and he converted through Bismillah and going in the Mikvah and bringing these corbanos is the Hassan of blood which is not under the years earlier at the brismilah and this was his breast meal some suffers bothered by it he says the task tells us why do we make Ash on Friday night and the task gives the reason what's the reason for hashan zachar an excuse to go out drink eat chickpeas Ibis why do we have shamshak on Friday nights this baby before he can enter the breasts of our mavino before this little baby enters the Covenant of the Jewish people they have to first experience a Shabbos so we go on that Friday night to have an onyx Shabbos let's go enjoy and celebrate and Mark this Shabbos that the baby is experiencing many many reasons are given this is the task reasons some suffers bothered on the ramban how could this meal be the meal of the briss of the Israel yesterday just arrived a couple days earlier you can't make a Brisk without a where was the Where was the do you have to make a shamsaka for a convert before you schedule their conversion the Friday night before the scheduled conversion of the of the of the convert you make a for him it's a funny question and there's a big discussion we won't get into now but maybe the fact that Hashem is like so that took the place of Shabbos and it took the place of what it's supposed to represent an interesting exchange that takes place over here but there's a custom some have minagniflex Tunisia the Jews of Tunis and Al Shazier I didn't get an email or what's up about this yet like Parsha saman last week on Tuesday I got 400 but apparently there is a custom the Jews of Tunisia to make a meal of ISRO on the Thursday of parchas Israel good news there's still time today is only Tuesday there's a minute on Thursday this Thursday have a nice lunch hence the suit as Israel what's the reason where does it originate from this Minag of the Jews of Tunisia asudas ISRO on the Thursday of parashas Israel so he brings three reasons number one this is a chubas vaisha of Yosef Who quotes all these Customs so this is the part of Israel to commemorate this meal that he had we make a meal number two this parasha has the story of harsinai and the Assassin awesome we don't want to wait till shavuas this is the Parish of Kabbalah Satora we don't want to wait till shavu is to celebrate that we received the toranocera de Bros so we make a sudas Israel to celebrate precious Israel and number three Pilla there was a terrible epidemic a pandemic in Tunisia and many died and Eliana became and told the particular woman that she needs to shift a dove the nature and the pandemic stopped I wish we had learned this during Corona we should collectively be making a soda I think even the administration declared the end of Corona now so the Jews of Tunisia had suffered a plague an epidemic a pandemic they marked the suda soda it was partial sister so the Thursday that assumed as Israel but anyway there is that custom interesting custom among the Jews of of Israel so ISRO comes and until now amazing things to say about Israel but now he acts like a father-in-law and how does he act like a father-in-law I say this recognizing mine is in the room how does he act like a father I'm on the father-in-law team now so I'm allowed I'm allowed to talk like this how does Israel now begin to act like a father-in-law two words unsolicited advice not my father-in-law he's the best I solicit his advice all the time he's a fantastic advisor but ISRO offers unsolicited advice until now this is also how it goes right it's a nice meal took out for dinner everyone's enjoying and all of a sudden the father has to start to talk about what are the plans what's your future I'm concerned with the kids what you're doing with this your choice about that and the kids are like can we bench and get out of here thanks no thanks for the meal who needed the meal so Moshe is sitting down breaking bread with his father-in-law this flesh they're eating meat it's like a proper fleishing dinner they went out for and all of a sudden yes sir is offering this unsolicited device now here's where Moshe acts out of character where he says can I please have another Moshe says that's fantastic keep talking give me more advice so what's your advice this is no good what you're doing this can't work this is unsustainable this is not doable this is not doable I recently heard Jordan Peterson talk about safer shmos I don't know if you're a fan not a fan but he had some brilliant insight into the book of Exodus and he talked about it how they escaped from tyranny in the transition not to create another tyrannical infrastructure of government now as a free people and that's what yistro's concern was that you're going to place one Tyrant with another if anyone's the first and submits to you and you're the bottom line that everything comes to you need to democratize you need to create hierarchy you need to empower the people and the only way to escape tyranny is by empowering the people in a fascinating fascinating perspective you can find it and listen to it on your own but yes sir says it's unsustainable you can't do it you can't be with everyone and solve everyone's problems one person can't handle it all it's unsustainable so you need to diversify you need to spread out you need to empower you need to deputize you need to appoint other judges and only the most difficult will come to you stormbach and his tambadas has a fantastic Insight here sternum says the following begins to speak now when we begin to listen now go back to the beginning of the parisha this is the first words Israel says what are his first words three opening words are this is no good this is no good those are useless for three opening words when Israel first speaks that's how we're introduced him first three words he says are Lo Tove adavar this is no good go back to the beginning of the Parsha Rashi tells us that you saw had many names Russia tells us that yes or had many names seven names yes sir his name was ISRO comes from yester why was his name Israel from Yasser yesterday he merited at Parsha being added to the Torah there's a passion that has his name and what's the Parsha that he added quotes him and says what is Israel Merit that a parsha's name for him because he spoke and he said go back to where we were when did he says first he says this is no good for you it's bad for the people you can't do it listen to what I have to say he goes on and on and on finally says until now he's been identifying the problem and then he pivots and Israel says it's too much and you can't handle it you're going to crumble you're going to fall apart you look terrible it's like all the people who see my wife in the circum Supermarket they mean well they're like your husband looks horrible he's not taking care of himself you need to take care of him he looks absolutely terrible anyway I appreciate the love thank you so Israel tells Moshe you can't sustain this it's terrible you're gonna fall apart you're gonna crumble you can't do it all on your own and then finally he gets to the solution give a kick look go look among the people and find you need to bring in more help you gotta find people you got to be able to make it better when Russia beginning of the Parsha says one of the names seven names is yishra why for yeser and why yes sir because there's an extra Parsha why is there an extra Pasha because Israel said something and what did Israel say what would you have expected Russia to tell us the first three words that Israel said which were lotovar but that's not what Rashi quotes Rashi doesn't quote the first three words that Israel says what is Rashi quote you know why Israel married his own Parsha because he said two words you don't praise or admire someone because they could point out a problem that's easy to do anyone could see the problems you know what you praise and admire a person for when they offer a solution you don't praise someone you don't admire someone you don't name a Parsha after someone because they identified a problem problems we can all identify talk about it at our Shabbos tables we talk about it to our friends we talk about it during davening We complain about it we write anonymous emails about it problems that's easy everyone cowards everyone can identify the problem but to come forward and say I'm concerned with the Kiddush the shoulders we're not doing enough for the Youth The Emptiness there's something that needs work in the school the teacher the stem the gamara the Reb problems everybody could see but when you come and you say lotova davar there's something no good going on and I have a solution and I want to be part of the solution and I'd like to volunteer to chair the committee to be the solution then we name a parshaft to you let me name it pointing out a problem ah we don't name nothing after you but you come up with a solution then we name a Parsha after you and then he quotes he says I heard he says I heard at the uh at this convention in Warsaw they were speaking critically of the Agoda Musa Israel they're not doing enough for the Jews of Israel said don't sit here pointing fingers don't see their critical don't say they're complaining unless you got a solution don't point fingers and blame don't be critical unless you're offering a solution unless you're offering to be part of the solution yes or gets a Parsha named after him why because of the atata not because of lotova davar that's easy Turn the Page your tests list of requirements for leadership Moshe accepted Israel's advice and followed through on it and now we get to RC Night the Jews arrive at our Sinai and Asha makes a proposal to them is my precious children Tire Kinder you saw what happened in Egypt I've borne you on the wings of eagles and I brought you to me the Atta now in if you listen to my voicemail and you keep my Covenant and you tie a red Bendel around your wrist no that's not what it means recently segola it's not what it means recently sigula Nicola AME means you keep tired like mitzvos what makes you a treasured people among all the nations is that you don't believe in silly nourished Superstition Ridiculousness believe in me keep Italian admits us Daven to me don't believe in ridiculous silly horoscopes so these beautiful these two beautiful I carry you on the wings of eagles and I bring you close to me listen to my voice keep my Covenant and you'll be a nation of sagula kilicola Arts the whole land the whole earth is mine beautiful song by simcha leiner my buddy simcha liner if you don't know his I can't finish sharing I will save you from singing it right now so rash explains what's going on with this metaphor Hashem says I'm going to carry you on the wings of eagles beautiful great metaphor very poetic what does it mean why did Hashem invoke dafka this metaphor what is he getting at what does it mean sarashi famously says Rashi famously says Like an Eagle where does an eagle carry the fledglings where does the eagle carry its young on top of its wing is all the other birds carry the young underneath they grasp in their claws they carry them underneath all other birds they fly low the other birds fly above them if they were to put their children on their wing the birds above them could attack them they'd be vulnerable but the ego flies soar is the highest has no fear other than the human being could shoot an arrow the fishing so therefore it's children an unvulnerable above there's no one above it the children are only vulnerable below so the ego carries its youth above the wing um of knee let me take the arrow I'll absorb the blow let me protect the child the children who are riding on my wings says I did the same thing protecting you the image of on the wings of Eagle is Hashem says I'm protecting you the target mionis says this is not a physical event this is a metaphysical one if you look at the Target me on the sun is that long before the invention of the plane and long before Richard Branson and Elon Musk and everyone else were taking their space shuttles into space the wings of eagles was a metaphor for expeditious travel the ability to go somewhere really quickly like the old Concord someone told me now that there's an airline coming out of the plane that'll take you to Israel from here in three and a half hours I don't know it goes 12 000 miles on that I I don't know what the speed is so Hashem was telling them even when you were yet in Egypt even while you were in Egypt I wanted you while you were yet in Egypt before you were yet free I wanted you to be in yerushalayim for one night how do I get you there for one night I can't find the Sharon Concord this new plane whatever it's going to be called the shuttle spaceship because a metaphor I got you to your shalim on a spaceship I took you to the makama niktas you offered the carbon pesach then I brought you back you were back in matram then we finished the story and I set you free and we are meant to invoke this beautiful metaphor each seder night that no matter what Exile we are in we are transported the night of the Seder to shalam we're in the base we're bringing the carbon pesach and when the Seder ends whoever's left standing we're back in gullus but for the Seder night we're rich and we're free and we're dignified and we are royalty for the Seder night he again expeditiously transports us to yerushalayim we're bringing the carbon pesach we're back in the base no matter the challenging environment no matter our circumstances Hashem lifts us for a night and he carries us to a place of redemption the place that he connects with us write that down for your seder because it's a magnificent way to open the Seder whatever's going on in our family's life whatever's going on in the world around us whatever is the harshness and darkness of Exile family hevra for the next few hours for this later night we are transported to another place we are in yerushalayim we're in the world to come we're in the Muslim of mashiach we're in a place of redemption and then if we need to we'll come back but we're being transported on the wings of eagles for the next few hours to celebrate this later night it's magnificent you're all too panicked over the fact that I said pesach to even hear what a beautiful image that is and write it down you don't want to write down because then you'd be admitting that it's almost pesach but there's a third interpretation we saw a Rashi foreign but I want to tell you a third interpretation which is amazing I'll blow you away from Charlotte it's an amazing interpretation that's what I want to share with you the Irish Army the gamara the usami relates an astounding episode Alexander of Macedonia Alexander the Great after he succeeded in conquering the world he not unlike the billionaires of today remember a couple years ago Richard Branson Elon Musk does the guy started Amazon Bezos they were all competing to build their own spaceships and go to space as private right the billionaires of today why so interesting how the more more things change the more they stay the same Alexander the Great and Elon Musk they conquered the whole world they have more money than they have 200 billion dollars we don't begin to understand what that means so once you conquer the whole world what's left all that's left is to conquer space it's not a new phenomenon Richard it's not a new phenomenon of the billionaires of today have this itch this urge Alexander the Great had thousands of years ago too he rode the back of a great eagle and he held a pole in his hand with half an ox's carcass dangling from above the eyes of the eagle and the bird he kept lifting this pole with the carcass the eyes of the eagle and the ego kept therefore soaring Higher and Higher and Higher and Higher until this enormous bird this is tells us that this ego's huge Eagle lifted lifted Alexander the Great into the heavens now with Richard Branson look down at Earth he said quote how you feel when you look down on Earth is impossible to put into words it's Indescribable Beauty Jeff Bezos reacting to a space journey said quote when you get up above it it's this tiny little fragile thing and we move about the planet we're damaging it what did Alexander the Great say when he got up there what did he say the usami tells us he looked down on Earth and he was utterly unimpressed he saw it as this tiny small orb this little orb he had fully conquered right from down here it all looks so big and it looks endless but from up there it's like a little marble it's a garnish it's a nothing and in fact that's why says the irishami statues of Alexander often depict him with a ball in his hand it's a symbol that he once held the whole world in his hand he had conquered the whole world and statues of Alexander the Great the the globe in his hand are not because he had conquered the world but because it appeared to him only as that size when he did space travel when he took the eagle all the way up to space now Alexander's reaction is exactly the opposite of how we're meant to feel of what we're most supposed to react when we see how small Earth is in the scheme of the universe and the cosmos we shouldn't say wow it's nothing and we're great we're everything but rather we should feel smaller in less control and less than charge when we see how small everything is we should recognize that life on little Earth while it feels like it's everything it's just a tiny part of the greater Universe what feels so consequential what feels so important what feels we have such control of is small and fleeting what is Grand and last like the heavens and the world to come are what matters most the things we perceive as significant and great down here the tall skyscrapers and buildings and the Magnificent Feats and Discovery and breakthrough of science and engineering and technology and human skill they're only impressive from the perspective and on the scale of our small mortal human finite frail brain but in the larger scheme of things in comparison with The Glory of Heaven of shemaim everything is insignificant as the dust of the Earth you have this sense of charlottesiva excuse me you have this when you look down from an airplane your kids are innocent and sweet they still say this we've been come callous and hardened and it doesn't impress us anymore we're just annoyed because they ran out of the blue chips and I was just annoyed because the Wi-Fi isn't working so we failed to look out the window and say wow I'm flying through the sky right now and incredible speeds it's incred it's insane but if you fly in a plane and you look out the window the minuscule buildings and structures look like children's play things people think the smallness is an illusion oh look from up here it looks so small so which is the real size of the building and which is the illusion so we tend to think that the skyscraper is really huge that's accurate and when it looks tiny and like a toy from up there that's just an illusion but the opposite's true on this world things seem so big and so important and so Grand and it's an illusion the real scale of it is from the perspective from up there it's small and insignificant and inconsequential and Hashem is really is really in charge says of Charlotte there says that's hashem's message I'm about to give you the Torah and before I do I want to lift you on the wings of an ego and I want to bring you close to me I want you to see from the perspective that Alexander the Great saw but he got it wrong he came to the wrong conclusion I want you to get to the right conclusion I'm bringing you on the wings of eagles I want to bring you up to me I'm giving you the tools to see the world with perspective Hashem showed us the reality he gave us scope unlike modern day billionaires and Alexander the Great he's showing us that with Torah with Torah Torah is the instrument to measure and to realize that what feels so big from down here is really very small and really what's small is very big and it's only from up there from that perspective that we can have scale and scope it's so easy to get caught up in whatever we're doing and going through to magnify its significance and its meaning from up high in the Eagle's perspective we can look down Torah gives us a 30 000 foot View too often we get caught in the weeds you need something to lift you and look down from 30 000 feet let's put this in perspective let's give this some scope let's give this some scale and you get anxious when you feel self-pity or you're tempted to complain on a scale of one to ten does this really matter or put differently apply the five by five rule you know what the five by five rule is you ever hear the five by five rule it's not my own five by five rule is you shouldn't spend more than five minutes worrying about something that won't matter in five years if it won't matter in five years spend five minutes it's annoying what happens spend five minutes being annoyed by it but if it won't matter in five years don't spend more than five minutes don't spend more than five minutes climb aboard the wings of the airline called Torah Torah is an airline torah's a space shuttle we don't need Richard Branson and Elon Musk and Bezos we don't need to build a spaceship to reach the heavens we have Torah Torah takes us up there and from there we can look down and it gives us scale and it gives us perspective and it gives us scope and it gives us the ability to see things the way they are the way they should be the way we're meant to see them and understand them okay you're tested foreign with that ride up to the heavens and says this Torah is going to be your instrument your dashboard to see the world with scale and scope now he's ready to give us the Torah so Hashem says but before I can give you the Torah the kidash what is Sanctified today and tomorrow and wash their clothing and let them be prepared for the third day we recognize these three days on our calendar they're known as these are the three days of preparation the three days of preparation before we re-experience Kabbalah Satora that word the kidashtam is very significant listen to this Insight part of salavechik The Rock Says translates this word what is right yomaden what is utas means prepare the kedastam sanctify means according to unclos prepare Holiness means preparation Holiness is not a transcendental phenomenon which arrives against man's will man does not bear the Yoke of Holiness if he does not want it man must choose it wait for it yearn for it only then does holiness descend slowly and cleave to us in the three-day Prelude to receiving the Torah Moshe warns the people be ready for three days similarly I don't have to submit to a seven day preparation period prior to the dedication of the mishkan every coin got those subsequently went through a similar sequester priority Yom Kippur what is the analogy between Aaron's preparation prior to the Michigan's dedication Yom Kippur both involved an encounter with Holiness Holiness does not arrive suddenly it comes Only By Invitation inherent in the act of preparation what an important message of the rub holiness Holiness kedusha doesn't come because you had an edible Holiness doesn't come because of Allah Holiness doesn't come because of something you smoked or imbibed Holiness doesn't come out of nowhere spontaneously wholeness comes and caduce which is doesn't appear anywhere but there is no Holiness without preparation where does that principle come from foreign how do you make Holy says unclass the Tasmanian you have to prepare you have to prepare Holiness takes work it takes preparation your mindset your attitude your effort your sacrifice your mysterious snafish it doesn't happen to you passively if I had a dollar for everyone who says I might come to shul I Want to Be Inspired but nothing happens your sermon the minion the people I don't get anything out of it I say you don't get anything out of it interesting what are you putting into it if you want to get something out of it what are you putting into it now it could be that you put everything into it and you still get nothing out of it because the rabbi is terrible because it's terrible the minion's terrible it could be I'm not saying that there aren't things that we have to fix the things we have to fix but before you get to what you need to fix and everyone around you do we look in the mirror and say what do I need to fix in me if I'm not getting anything out of it what am I putting into it the kidashtam are we preparing are we working are we ready are we making an effort the kadashtam and you're not going to be enriched by the holy Shabbos and by yuntef and by davening and by all of the 613 invitations for encountering kadusha that we have called Torah we're not going to be elevated and Rich and transformed by them if we're not first Vikki Dash them it's not going to land in your lap passively it doesn't happen to you you have to invite kadusha you have to be a clear vessel to receive an experienced kadusha if you want to get something out of it you better put something into it parakeet test possible it's on the page 404. there were sounds and there was a thick Mountain on the there was a thick Cloud on the mountain the kosher mode and all the people trembled and uh tremendous Pomp and Circumstance what a scene incredible what's going on also Plaza Torah tells us the following [Music] colossebroken what was the sound of the chauffeur show for the tour quotes his brother of Yehuda that's over of Matan Torah was the chauffeur of the ram of Yitzhak Rashi writes similarly the chauffeur from the ram of akeda was the sound of the chauffeur that blew at harcina some deep meaning in that which we're not going to go into right now the safer shamtov the cast ashamed of rights which is the Torah of the iliga bashem cast ashamed of the Torah of the hilaga bashem foreign so if the Jewish people follow the formula of arsenae we spend time we prepare and we invest we make ourselves into a vessel that could receive kadusha tamid kol Hashem we can still hear those sounds reverberating we can see we can hear hashem's sounds all around us all around us he testified about the bashem is Torah that in fact the Angels Came Down the same lightning and thunder you could hear the sounds of Hashem and you heard the Declaration those sounds never stopped they continued to reverberate when we read this Parsha my dear friends we're not reading about an event of History we are experiencing it in an ongoing fashion those sounds continue to reverberate in our earsinai never ended it continues it continues Hashem is still talking to us every time you open a safer every time you open a Hamish every time you attend the Parsha Shear you're standing at harsinai you're hearing Hashem continue to talk to us that is the secret of our continuity that is the secret of our existence is that we are not simply commemorating or reading or studying history this is not memory only this is ongoing and it's live and it's real your salivation rights he remembers when he was in his bed as a child and his crib as a child he remembers he would overhear his father learning great maybe with his grandfather and they would arriving would would level an accusation a question on the rambam he would lie in bed and he was on the edge of his bed he couldn't fall asleep what's the rhyme I'm gonna do arrive is attacking him and then he would hear his father his grandfather coming up with a creative solution to defend the ram I'm against the Ravid these were not figures of History these were not personalities of the past he couldn't fall asleep as a child because the rambam was alive the Riven was alive and they were sparring and you needed to know how it was going to end I was going to turn out with the realm and be defended would he be okay and then later thereof described that when he was frail when he was old and his health was compromised and he was tired but he'd walk into Sher and he'd open this forum and it gave him the energy he'd come alive for those few hours they didn't give a short cheer it was many hours I wish I had to text you I could read it to you you have to hear the Robin's own words describing it and for the rav these people were alive they were alive raveena ravashirish they weren't people of the past they were alive I was once at a rabbinic retreat and I had the uh distinct privilege a session where I was interviewing Russia during conversation with RAF shakter for the group of rabbanim and I asked them I said you know they're robbing it they say can be lonely it's lonely sometimes because Rabbi does the Russia Shiva ever get lonely ever get lonely people don't understand and the pressures and responsibility and the unfair criticism misunderstanding does Ruby ever get lonely he looked at me and if you know of shakta there's not a pretentious bonus body or an inauthentic he never would say anything because he thinks that's what's supposed to be said he looked at me and he said like shockingly totally not understanding what I was talking about he said why why would I ever get lonely I have the written do you know how many friends I have of the rambam and arriving I have I have I have the shama in this I have so many friends I can't count them all why would I ever be lonely he didn't say that because he wanted me to quote it later in the pasture years later or someone would one day put it in a book he meant it he sits down with his farm he sits with his bookcase he opens his gemara and Russia and says he's among his friends he's not lonely they're alive they're alive and that was the experience the bashem said Casa shamedov it says the kolos they're in each and every generation they never stop reverberating they go on and on and on and on they continue to reverberate all around us oh foreign how long did they stay there I don't know how long they stayed there says something shocking now long Hasina lasted how long did it last an hour a day a week month year decade anyone know who studied the partial art celebrate shavu as many times anybody know how long our sin I was that's what it says a year they encamped and they were there and they waited and the experience was a year and I've been about the notion of Shana rishono when a couple get married that they experienced Shana rishona Knights theater at home that's first year don't separate and go on business trips that first year we still continue to treat them as the king and a queen that first year where does that come from it's says you know where that comes from Hashem married us under the mountain that he held over our head like a Choppa and just like he spent the shenari Shona with us we too should spend the shamarishona and in fact we don't have time now all the Customs that we have surrounding marriage are modeled after cabal Satora matantora the khopa is like the mountain held over our head and Shadow rishona is like shanuary and many many other of the Customs that we have are modeled after this Russia came down from the mountain did Moshe bench Como from this is wonders when Moshe came down you came back from your cruise on Yeshiva with you benched gomo you came back from the Bahamas on your flight you bench gomo you think Moshe came down from 40 days 40 nights on a mountain nothing to eat nothing to drink and counted the almighty you don't think he banished did he bench Como so the lobby cash is in a debate the conversation he was the first to learn Torah he received the Torah you can't learn Torah without making a birha Torah did he make though because did it happen yet did it fully happen yet is that the broccoli made so he quotes here the Medusa says foreign we don't do that that's not our custom but the marks of Victory quotes a custom that when you get nalia on shavuis the birha satoran that Moshe made he has pages and pages and Pages more on that here and much more that he talks about I guess I'll end with a couple questions for you to take with you hey one total was given lotion why would it be given lusham they all spoke by the way there's a there's one tradition he quotes what language was harsinai God spoke to us directly Moshe continued and gave us the rest of the dibros what language for sure was Yiddish was not Yiddish what language was it some say it was Egyptian they all spoke Egyptian they were a slave Nation they just came out of Egypt maybe it was what language were the dibros given in but the measures tells us it was simultaneous simultaneously broadcast in 70 languages why would you need that this wasn't the United Nations this was not an in-gathering of people from all over this was not a conference they all came from the same place they all spoke the same language why would it need to be given in 70 languages I'll leave that as a question one of the debris Lo sauce you're not allowed to make a foreign God they could just say Lo Sasa don't make why does it say for you two questions for you to chew on tomorrow morning 10 minutes of this is sasharam followed by living with emuna tomorrow night behind the bema with Mort Klein the president of the Zoe Zionist organization of America tonight we have the privilege of Hosting of Mayor salivichik I don't even know if there's room left because I think 700 people have signed up but this registration the great Robin mayor salaveichik my good friend is speaking tonight partnering with Tikvah next week you don't want to miss it and you need to reserve go to brsonline.org anti-Semitism next week we're hosting a conversation a debate between Ben Shapiro and yair Rosenberg Ben Shapiro you know yeah Rosenberg a writer for the Atlantic the ADL named them the two most targeted Jews online for anti-Semitism but they come from anti-Semitism from very different perspectives I'll be monitoring a conversation a debate between the two of them about anti-Semitism you'll want to be here it's next week you have to register brsonline.org anti-Semitism where you can find it in the weekly or online fine please join us for that event till next time stay happiest to help these