Parsha Perspectives - Shoftim

Okay, good evening everyone. Welcome back to para perspectives for today. It's great to be back. Barashem just landed today from Israel. And I have to tell you, it's very hard to leave. Every time you leave Israel, you leave a piece of yourself, to come back to to be whole again. But for me, the opportunity and the privilege to come back, to learn together, to grow together, it's essentially the only excuse or reason to be able to leave. And so, I'm honored and grateful that you're here this evening. Starting next week, we'll back to our regular scheduled slot in time, Tuesday mornings at 9:30. But glad that you're here together tonight. Our para series is sponsored yet again this year by our dear friends Becky and Avi Cats. We're so incredibly grateful to them for their generosity in sponsoring our Shir Shabil Nishmas in memory of David Gman, Becky's father, David Ben Manish. We have the privilege this week of reading and learning para page 124 in the arts girl stone. We are marching on in Mosha's monologue Mosha saliloquy the last days hours of his life in which he's turning to the people as they are on the cusp of entering the land without him. And he's sending them in with a message he's sending them in with a charge. He's reminding them these are mistakes we've made. This is what's gone right. This is what you need to look out for. And this is your purpose and your mission when you enter that land. So he continues now that we have an obligation and responsibility to place judges and officers in all of our cities that Hashem gives us. And then those judges and those police will exact they'll practice righteous judgment in all of those communities. And the Torah continues, "Don't pervert just judgment. Don't disrespect someone's presence." Don't take a bribe. Because bribery blinds the eyes of the wise and makes the words makes just words crooked. It means no one's immune. All are susceptible. And bribes take the form not only of money. We give a series of shirum in the past on issues of bribe using protectia speaking of Israel trying to get ahead using connections not what you know but who you know and what are the ethics and what's the around all those issues rabbis tell us the word bribery is shahoo that he and you are you're one creates aligned interests even when there shouldn't be an objective judge should not be aligned with a particular party. But when they receive a bribe, that could be in the form of resources, money, or the bribe could be currying favor. The bribe could be flattery, the bribe can be a compliment. A bribe can be all kinds and all forms. And we're all vulnerable and susceptible when we issue judgment in our lives. We have to be careful because it it can blind even the wise. Pursue justice with justice. So you'll live and possess the land that Hashem has given you. the opening section of our para which was really a continuation of the last week the end of par we had the laws of the madim the holidays the three festivals that we ascend to and in an atmosphere of celebration of yontiff it can be pretty frivolous you drink a lot of wine and so a lot of barbecue a lot of carbonos a lot of the sacrifices the meats being consumed and with a nice delicious steak a proper properly chilled red wine. And so the environment can be very social, very frivolous, somewhat inebriated, intoxicated. So it's specifically in contrast or continuing that theme that our para begins, don't allow a frivolous atmosphere or environment to let you not be regulated, undisiplined, to act in a way which isn't just or isn't righteous. And that's the contrast of the continuation of these two sections. Rabbi Saxs, Rabbi Lord, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Saxs in the Sax Kisha quotes his teachings and it says the following. For Jews and not only Jews, the religious voice is above all a moral voice. Aram has chosen so that he'll instruct his children to do righteousness and justice. When Hashem tells Ara, you know why I love you? You know why you're my man? I'm paraphrasing. Do you know why I've chosen you? Do you know why I want you to be the leader and the father of all nations? Not because you have the longest amida. Not because you're the most religious. Not that there's anything wrong with being so scrupulous and vigilant and having a long prayer. But he says, "The reason I love you is because you will command you command your children after you lasso mishbah to do righteousness and justice." Yeshua begins his prophetic mission with the most powerful speech ever made against the idea you can serve God in the house of prayer while ignoring him in the marketplace. Yeshua teaches us and we know this is the reason of the great destruction of the temple happen not because of religious neglect but because of moral corruption when we violate and when we forfeit when we abdicate our responsibility towards morality and ethics in the marketplace in the marketplace. The prophet sums up the religious quest in three imperatives. Do justice, love goodness, and walk modestly with God. And here in the text of the covenant, Moshe tells the Jewish people sedc pursue justice how with justice writes Sachs, no idea in the Hebrew Bible has been more influential than this. that society is founded on a moral covenant between its members vested in an authority that transcends all earthly powers and whose most famous symbol is the ten commandments engraved in stone. Law as envisaged by the Torah makes no distinction between rich and poor, powerful and powerless, homeborn or stranger. Equality before the law is the translation into human terms of equality before God. Time and again, the Torah insists that justice is not a human artifact. I don't know if you're watching or listening later, but we're in the middle of a monsoon in Boca Raton. So, I don't know if the mic is picking it up, but if you hear that sound, it is the sound of a very captive audience who have nowhere to go. Because it belongs to God, it must never be compromised by intimidation, bribery, or favoritism. It is an inaliable right and also an inescapable duty, something that must be pursued actively. One might suppose that divinity of justice reduces our accountability for justice on earth. God exists. Therefore, the universe is just. We however are human and God has empowered us to seek the justice that is human. Not justice from the point of view of the universe of eternity, but the point of view of the fallible, fairly ephemeral, vulnerable we are. We live in a space and time cannot but see injustice. We cannot know the rewards of a life beyond the grave. Our pain is not made less by the belief that is necessary for the good of the whole. still less it is made bearable than it is justified as punishment for sin. So here Rabbi Saxs explains the significance of sedic of a society that is not intimidated. It is not held by a tyrannical leader. It is not impressed by power but bears an awesome responsibility for morality and for justice and for virtue. Not v virtue signaling which is an epidemic of our generation. People who want to signal they're more virtuous or just than others. But here our rabbis say why the redundancy by sax alludes to it. He doesn't spell it out but our rabbis do explicitly. I've shared it many times before. It speaks to me very deeply. Sedcard. Why does it say twice sedc justice justice shall you pursue? First of all, why do you have to pursue it? When do you have to run after something? When it's running away. So sometimes justice and righteousness, they feel like they're inaccessible. They're difficult to achieve or to grab on to or to hold. Sometimes they're fleeting, they're fleeing, they're running away. So pursue, run after it. Don't be satisfied with anything less. Run after that justice. But why the redundancy? And there are many, many explanations that are offered sedcard. My brother-in-law's father is a federal judge in New York. He has over his bench this puck sed. And he's a man who stands for justice and includes Torah teachings in his certainly in his perspective in his responsibility as a judge. But why the redundancy? So say [Music] pursue justice with justice. Sometimes people in the pursuit of justice they in fact cut corners. They're dishonest. They lack integrity because of some noble ends. They practice an inoble means. And our rabbis understood the Torah be teaching us bitc. Even if the ends are noble, it doesn't justify an innovable means. No matter how righteous the goal, you cannot cut corners. You can't be dishonest. You can't lack integrity. You can't be corrupt. You can only pursue justice specifically with a sense of justice. Sadcard, you have to run after it and you have to pursue it. You have to pursue it together. People have um it's very troubling and deeply painful. New York Times today picked it up as a story and maybe I'm getting into trouble on my first day back, but it's okay. If you get rid of me and I have to turn right around, I'm happy to go back. There were 80 self-described modern Orthodox rabbis who signed a public letter challenging Israel for its methodology and what it's doing and the civilian famine and hunger in Gaza. And it's bad enough it was issued or published altogether. Now it was picked up and the authors of that letter are in the company of the tur karta and others who are uh on a side of criticizing Israel in a public way that doesn't mean Israel the Jewish people are beyond reproach. We make mistakes as a people and our and our country too. But how and where we communicate when we have concerns, we have to be exceedingly and extremely careful and measured and sure of where we communicate, how we communicate, to what effect we communicate, the unintended consequences of our communication, how just we are in what we're communicating, and not only virtue signaling or trying to position as being more moral or more concerned than others, but what messages is the Torah here is telling us the awesome responsibility of those who are in positions of leadership and who have a voice how, where, when, to whom, why, with what confidence and facts we communicate it. The Torah is telling us to be extremely exceedingly careful and cautious when it comes to this when it comes to this area. And how we do it, how we do it. para begins by telling us judges and officers. We have to place why doesn't it just say you need judges and you need officers. Why means what's the translation? What does the word mean? You you should have officers and you should have judges. But the could have easily have read without the word. It's it's extra and the Torah doesn't waste words. It could have said have judges have police in all of your gates. Says the says the holy. You know why? Because teaches that a person has to judge themselves before they judge others. First make sure you have judges and police. You can regulate yourself. Make sure you look in the mirror. Who are you? How do you behave? How do you conduct yourself? Who are you first? So therefore, First, first install judges and police for you and then you can turn to everybody else. It's brought down based on this when these came back from Raden. Raden was the hometown of the great he saw Mayor Kagan the author of the Mishnab. So lived in Raden. When the Bonavar came back from Rad and he stopped and tells and there the tells of Rashiva Reza Gordon asked him new tell me something he saw what did you see in the tell me a story give me a little taste of the greatness of the great so he said I'll tell you every day after ding the would give a little to his yeshiva he'd give Mus a message he give values a lesson for life he said one day he announced he wouldn't be speaking that today. Why? He said because the previous day said about himself, I can't give a message after Davi. Today, I'm not in a position to offer a public comment because yesterday I didn't learn the way I should have. And if I didn't learn myself the way I should have, who am I to stand before you giving you a message? Why didn't he learn the day before the way he should have? Because the day before he took delivery of his Mishna Bura sat and painstakingly went through every word of every page of every volume to ensure that whatever customers would buy his new safer, there wasn't a misprint. There wasn't a page that was blank. There wasn't something that came out wrong they buy something from him and he would violate a prohibition of uh not providing the the product that was sold. He was painstakingly going through it. That's why he didn't learn the time that he a standard he held himself because of that he felt unqualified to get up and give a message that day to his yeshiva. So that's what the told the tells of that's what he saw and he thought of this first make sure you have judges policemen practice what you're preaching live the life before you turn to others with criticism with feedback before you offer anything to anyone else that's at least how understood and lived being careful himself before he would talk to someone else but I saw one other interpretation on this opening PS then we'll move forward and it's partial perspectives for today I think this is something happening right now Washington DC the said the following if you have judges why do you need policemen the judges legislate the judges legislate the law so why do you need policemen it's an obvious answer because without policeman, you'll have law, but no law enforcement. And if you don't have law enforcement, you can have all the law you want on the books, but you're going to have an enormous amount of crime. It's not enough. You have judges who can arrive at the truth, who can legislate the law. What's the goal? What's the purpose? What do you accomplish and achieve with the law if it's sitting on a book collecting dust, but it's not being practiced in the streets? Therefore, the Torah teaches us because really they go together, law and law enforcement. We don't defund police. We don't fight or resist law enforcement, but we believe we need law, proper law, truthful law, authentic law, binding law, and you need law enforcement. No matter how much a person in theory wants to obey the law, but there's a lot of temptation and a lot of opportunity and a lot of drive and a lot of distraction. And if you didn't have the image of the law enforcement to help keep you on the straight and narrow to keep the law, then the law would be something in theory and on the books. And that's why we need and we believe the Torah endorses in all communities and in all cities. You need law and you need law enforcement. And if that's true, if that's true for cities and community, for society, then certainly it's also true in the great teaching we know of the that primarily the Torah here is talking to each and every one of us. That's why and all your gates have judges and law enforcement. What are the gates to the individual? A city has gates. It has entrances and exits and thorough affairs. What are the gates to the person is buried in I was just in he says the seven gates in a person's head in a person's body you have the nostrils you have the ears you have the mouth you have the eyes these are the gates of the person what we see what we say what we hear how we engage how we encounter our senses through which we operate navigate this world are the gates to the person And they need law and they need law enforcement. And if you don't have law enforcement, you don't have law. Because if you're not regulated, if we don't have the capacity to self-regulate, to be disciplined, to follow through and practice what we preach, it's all lip service. It's all lip service. So we are what we do, not what we say we'll do, not what we believe, not what we pledge, and what we promise, but you are how you behave. That is who we are. So the real the reality the real us is not what we pledge or promise. It's not the image we have of ourselves for ourselves. It is our capacity to regulate to be disciplined to have self-control to practice what we preach and to put into our lives everything we say. So this teaching [Music] it begins with us as the cleakar said before we can impose it on others. It applies to society and nationally, but it also applies to us individually. And it requires the partnership and the balance of both the chaft and the chim law and law enforcement. Truth in our beliefs, our principles, the laws by which we live, but also the law enforcement, the capacity to enforce on ourselves, to hold ourselves to the standard of that law. That's what the Torah here is getting at. Then the Torah continues next section verse 21. You shall not plant for yourself an idolatrous tree. You can't plant an idolatrous tree. You can't plant any tree near the altar of Hashem your God that you make for yourself. Don't erect a pillar which Hashem your God Hashem your God hates. says the term our first of the day. He quotes Rashi. Don't plant an ash an idolatrous tree near the misbelas. You're not allowed to plant trees on the temple mount where harabas mikdash stands stood will stand. You're not allowed to plant a tree. Wonders. We have a magnificent campus expansion going on. We're so grateful to our incredible, generous donors. We're going to expand the impact, the influence, the teaching, the lessons, the light that we hope spreads forth from here. So, we have an architect. And what else do we have to have? A landscape architect. Why do you need a landscape architect? Because if you build a beautiful building, if you build a beautiful home, but you don't have anything left for a landscape architect, it looks blah blah. You pull up and it's eh. You want to really be beautiful. You want it to be striking, you need an architect and you need a landscape architect. So, one would think's home, you'd have some great uplighting, landscape lighting, magnificent landscaping. And here the Torah says the exact opposite. When it comes to Hashem's home, Hashem's house temple mount. Not only don't you plant a not only don't plant an idolatrous tree. Don't plant any tree. Here we're talking not only about an idolatrous tree. We're not only talking about some tree people bow down to. We're talking about any tree. says, "You know why?" Describes as magnificent, the most beautiful thing on earth. Hashem's design is the ultimate design. It lacks, it is missing nothing. If you add on, if you try to compleiment, if you put something more, then you're taking away. More sometimes is less. And if you add, you're actually subtracting. If you think it's lacking or missing, you want to add bushes or landscape or lighting, then you're suggesting that Hashem is imperfect, that Hashem is incomplete, that his vision, his home is not the way it should be, and that's not us. That's not what we believe. We follow the strict instruction. We follow what Hashem tells us, and we're doing what he provides is perfect. And it doesn't need any help. It doesn't need any addition to we say in Torah. The Torah of Hashem means whole or complete or perfect the way it is. It doesn't need help. It doesn't need our addition. It doesn't need us to complement it. It's perfect the way it is. That's why Hashem says the design for our abayas that's mine. This house is perfect the way I'm giving it. And therefore, you don't need any other architect. You don't need a compliment. If you add anything in fact you're going to be taking away but Salvich also has a comment here but Salvik and his writes in his commentary in the cites the view of that the prohibition of not planting trees was extended by the rabbis to include even a synagogue courtyard the raisuation of the mitzvah in the introduction of Mishna Torra equates the kushes with that of Biktosh. The sanctity of Ashul says the Rambam is the same as the sanctity of the holy basto. Seemingly then Rambam would consider this to be a biblical prohibition which is even more stringent than the opinion of Rama which considers planting trees to be a rabbitic prohibition. on the other hand then it's from Berlin in his response da argues there is altogether no prohibition to plant a tree in the synagogue area indeed writes my brisker permitted planting trees in the courtyard of the great synagogue in Brisk and entirely rejected the opinion of of David in truth there is no connection between Ram's words in the introduction and the view of Rama the prohibition of planting trees in the bases depends on there being sanctity kaduca's makum with regard to the shul the rama maintains the structure as sanctity is therefore forbidden to destroy it but this does not prove that there is sanctity attached to the place which would forbid planting trees there and even if we were to maintain their sanctity attached to the place in which case it would be forbidden there's no reason to extend it to the courtyard which certainly does not share the properties of the shul so we follow we have landscaping planned we have landscaping currently we have landscaping planned in our expansion and we follow that opinion of brisker that that was true for the bas mikdash but is not true for a mikdash for a for a shul for a temple in in miniature. The gumar comments on the justosition of this verse to the obligation of appointing judges and rakish teaches this appears in the soner said he who appoints an incomp incompetent judge over the community is as though he had planted an asher in Israel. If you appoint an incompetent judge it's like you planted an idolatous tree. What does one thing have to do with the other? You see that by the just justosition the beginning of our para first we talked about judges we went right to the idolatrous tree but what's the connection between those themes so commented that an incompetent judge is compared specifically to an asher because idolatrous shrines are generally identifiable the asher however appears as an ordinary tree so if you have a house of idolatry if there's an idol you know it's an idol you know it's a house of idolatry but a tree that people bow down to just looks like a tree. It's not identifiable. Outwardly, it is beautiful and luxur. But its essence is rotten. So too is a judge who outwardly appears qualified, but inwardly is incompetent and rotten. One who judges righteously is given extraordinary authority to act in l of the divine judge. In reality, no human being is capable or has the right to decide the fate of another, for he never knows the absolute truth. A dian is referred to in the Torah as. Anyone know another name for a judge in the Torah? Elohim. In fact, when you're pronouncing the word, you have to know is it referring to God? Then it's Elohim. If it's referring to judge, it's Elohim. Because he is necessarily granted a divine prerogative. Consequently, if a human judge is incompetent, he is in effect he in effect usurps divine authority and desecrates it. This is akin to idolatry. figuratively has planted an idol shrine in the very place which is imbued with divine justice near the altar of the holy temple. means that a judge who's using judgment is endowed with a divine inspiration and therefore is in the place of the altar. And if you're incompetent or unqualified or corrupt, it's like you've planted an asher tree next to the altar because in the place of the judgment that you represent Hashem, you're corrupt or somehow incompetent or unqualified. Zion. Moving right along. Turning the page. Turning two pages. 10:28. When you enter the land that God gives you and you inherit it and you live in it, you say, you know what the people are going to say? We want a king. Everyone else has a king in the Middle East. We want a king. We want a ruler. We want to be like everybody else. Here, the Torah formulates it as sort of predicting prophetic. You're going to conquer and inherit the land. You're going to set up shop and then you're going to say we want a king. Who initiates it? The people. You're going to say God says okay. God says okay you should surely set of yourself a king whom Hashem your God shall choose. So here it's prescriptive. And yet and say for when the Jewish people want to place a king all of a sudden it's a harsh reaction. Why do you want to be like everybody else? Why are you just trying to keep up? What's the criticism? How is that warranted or justified when here the Torah seems to a priori endorse it or predict it or give license for it? So that's a question for another time. So some and here we have the Torah telling us the laws of of a king and they have to become a king can't come from someone who's a convert. It has to be somebody who descends from the Jewish people. You can't have a stranger. It has to be one of your own. The learns when it comes to positions of authority. It's a king and not a queen. A man and not a woman. That's for another time. Raqq. And now we have some caution. It's It's not because I'm afraid. Tackle it. I'm not afraid. But another time. Loar. I'm so tempted. But another time. Torah says be careful. The king has to be very careful. Can't have too many horses. Today we say shouldn't have too much horsepower or too many cars because they'll bring the people back to Egypt in order to acquire the horses. That's where you got cars. You're not allowed to go back to Egypt. Can't have too many wives. Even though polygamy was permissible at the time for the king. Be careful. Not too many because if he has too many wives, he'll turn astray. Can't have too much gold and silver. Shouldn't have too much money. When he sits on his throne, he writes the Torah. He writes for himself two copies of the Torah in a book from before the and it should be with him. He has to have this Torah with him all the days of his life. Learn regularly to fear hem to have all of Hashem to observe his Torah and all of his laws. Because the king the king is very vulnerable to growing and arrogant and then he can veer from the mitzvah right or left. Be careful. Take this caution. have these boundaries and then you'll be able to sit on your throne for a long time says Rabbi Saxs writes Rabbi Saxs very interestingly here about the king can't have too much money select a monarch yeah is having a good king a good thing or a bad thing from a Jewish perspective The question turns out to be almost unanswerable by Sax gets into it. But in any case, he shouldn't have too much gold, silver, or gold. Unique commands are given to the king. He must not accumulate horses so as not to establish trading links with Egypt. He should not have too many wives, lest his heart be led astray. He should not accumulate wealth. These were all standing temptations to a king. It was these three three prohibitions that Schlommo, the wisest of men, broke, marking the beginning of the long slow slide into corruption that marked much of the history of the monarchy in ancient Israel. It led after his death to the division of the kingdom. But these were symptoms, not the cause. The cause was the feeling on the part of the king that since he's above the people, he's above the law. As the rabbi said, Schlommo justified his breach of these prohibitions by saying, "The only reason a king may not accumulate wives is to lead his heart astray. So I'll marry many wives and not be led astray since the only reason not to have many horses, not to establish links with Egypt, I'll have many horses, but I won't do business with Egypt." In both cases, he fell into the trap of which the Torah had warned. Schlomma's wives led him astray. His horses were imported from Egypt. The arrogance of power is its downfall. Hence the Torah's insistence on humility not as merely a good thing to have but as essential to the role. And then he has a Torah that he reads from all the days of his life. Writes here we see that king the king is commanded to study constantly. Later in the book that bears his name Yeshua Mosha's successor is commanded in the very same terms leaders learn. True. They have advisers, elders, counselors, and inner court of sages. And lit lie rer a ti. Literati. >> I just got off a plane. For those who don't know what that word means, what does that word? Literati. >> Liti. >> What does that word mean? We're trying to learn. >> Okay. >> Well read. >> Well read. Apparently something I am not true. They have advisers, elders, counselors, and inner court of sages and that other word. In addition, biblical kings had prophets to show and so on to bring them on the word of Hashem. But those on whom the destiny of the nation turns may not delegate the task of thinking, reading, studying, and remembering. They're not entitled to say, "I have affairs of state to worry about. I have no time for books. Leaders must be scholars beneathra children of the book if they are to direct and lead the people of the book. It's a very powerful imagery by Sax's painting. A leader, no matter how busy busy, no matter the burden they bear, no matter the people they carry, can't claim they have no time. They have the greatest responsibility. Leaders learn. They have to be scholars. They have to be benorra. They have to read their briefing books and they have to read other books. They have to have libraries. They have to be curious and inquisitive. They have to study and learn. They have to challenge themselves. The two greatest kings of early Israel, David and Schlommo were both authors, David of Talem, Schlommo of Shirim and Mish and Cohelis. What separates the statesman from the mere politician are reading and writing. The key biblical word associated with kings isma, wisdom. We should note that means something slightly different than from Torah which is more commonly associated with priests and prophets than kings. Includes worldly wisdom which is human and universal rather than a special heritage of Jews and Judaism. Broadly speaking in contemporary terms, KMA refers to the sciences and humanities to whatever allows us to see the universe as the work of Hashem and the human person as the image of Hashem. Torah is the specific moral and spiritual heritage. Leaders take time to familiarize themselves with the world of ideas. Only thus do they gain the perspective to be able to far see farther and clearer than others. To be a Jewish leader means spending time study both Torah and to understand the world as it is. Torah to understand the world as it ought to be. Leaders learn. They don't read tweets. They read books. leaders learn and challenge their mind and have libraries and have ideas and think broadly so that they can lead properly. And that's something hopefully that we're not getting lost. It's something we should demand of our leaders. It's so something that those in positions of leadership have to practice. Torah here is telling us what the king is the ultimate paradigm that leaders learn. Leaders have to regularly regularly engage in learning. Why? Because if not, Torah cautions us because it's very easier to feel superior to swell with arrogance. Consistent with the fundamental Judeaic idea that leadership is service, not dominion or power or status or superiority. The king is commanded to be humble. He must constantly read the Torah. So, may he learn to revere the Lord as Hashem. It's not so easy to be humble when everyone is bowing down before you, when you have the power of life and death over your subjects. If a king whom all are bound to honor is commanded to be humble, how much more so the rest of us? And here Saxs contrasts all of the cultures and peoples the king makes statues to himself. The king is power. The king is honor. The king is glory. The king is a name. The Jewish people, the king is in person of service. He serves the people, not the other way around. Most of the greatest leader the Jewish people ever had was very humble, more so than any other man on earth. Was it that he was great because he was humble or humble because he was great? Either way, as said of Hashem himself, wherever you find his greatness, there you find his humility. This is a clear example of how spirituality makes a difference to the way we act, feel, and think. Humility means living by the light of that which is greater than me. When God is at the center of our lives, we open ourselves up to the glory of creation and the beauty of other people. The smaller the self, the wider the radius of our world. And therefore, the king who could easily swell with arrogance or power has a special mitzvah to maintain his humility and to practice even greater humility than others. Also has a comment here on the prohibition law. Can't have too many wives, can't be led astray, and too much money, gold or silver. When it came to not having too many wives, the Torah tells us why you'll be led astray. When it told us not to have too many horses, the Torah gave us a reason why. Where do they trade horses? Egypt. >> Egypt. And we're not meant to go back there ever again. But when it came to the prohibition, don't have too much gold and silver. It doesn't give us a reason. So the first two, there's a reason provided. And here the third, there's only a prohibition, but there's no reason provided. And the question is why not? What's the main reason to try to accumulate in the mass as much money as possible? Having finances gives you financial security. Why do people want money? Financial security. They think if they have money, they have security. When it comes to money, it's obvious. We know why a person wants it. They're seeking security they'll never find in the money. But when it comes to they don't person has many horses it's not because they think there's security in their horses many wives not because they think there's security in their wives. So the Torah had to give you a reason for those two. But the money everyone knows the reason because it's a natural urge we all have which is for the financial security. Listen carefully. says, "So a person who exerts extreme effort or initiative to earn money who works night and day to get it and exerts excessive effort to earn more beyond what they need to have to survive, even to thrive, but still insatiably want more and more and more. He's turning the money into idolatry. Because if you think your security will come by having more money, what are you worshiping? Money, not Hashem. Who provides security and safety? Who takes care? Hashem. And if you think that money is the answer and the solution to every problem and if only you have more or the most of it, then you have everything, then you are abandoning Hashem to worship the money. You think the money can answer all your needs, all your questions, all your problems. And then you're going to take away your faith in Hashem. If you put your faith in your financial security, not realizing that all security comes only from Hashem. Whatever security we have comes from only from Hashem. I said recently, it's my my quote, I forgot who authored it, that sadly there are some people who are so poor that all they have is money. There are people so poor all they have is money. And money can't buy you a cure from an illness. Money can't buy you happiness in a broken relationship. Money can't buy you qualities or quality of life that you're missing. There are people who are so poor that all they have is money. And so yes, there's nothing wrong with earning it, having ambition for it, enjoying it, being able to give it away. There's nothing wrong with it. But we don't worship it. We don't pursue it. We don't see our security as tied to or connected with it. And we're cautioned like the king to not express or exert excessive effort in pursuing it because if we do, we're worshiping it instead of Hashem. We have to look at cash like play money. All the money in the world won't solve a problem if Hashem doesn't want it to be solved. And without any money in the world, Hashem can help you avoid problems if he wants. It all comes from him. The more we're aligned and calibrated and understand and living because we can't just know that up here the we can't just have that judgment in our head. We have to police ourselves. We have to enforce it on ourselves to live a life with that perspective and with those priorities and with those priorities. And then continues when he sits on his on his throne he has to write this Torah. Why does he have to read it all the time? We all have to read it all the time. This is a mitzvah. is a mitzvah Torah obligation to learn Torah day and night. So once we already have the obligation learn Torah day and night, what's extra additional? Why specifically does the king have an extra command? What's extra here for the king? All day and night we have to be occupied and preoccupied with the pursuit and study of Torah. Tells us that when are we obligated to learn Torah? We once did a series of shirum on the definition of the obligation of learning Torah. What's the shar? What's the measure? How do I know when I fulfilled the mitzvah? What are the criteria, the definition? Matzah, I have to eat a kaz to fulfill the mitzvah. Chauffeur, I have to blow certain sounds. My has to be a certain size. When there's a mitzvah, I have criteria to know I fulfilled the mitzvah. What are the criteria, the parameters? What's the sheer of the mitzvah to learn Torah? If I learn five minutes, 50 minutes, an hour, a page, a chapter, a book, how do I define fulfilling my mitzvah every day of learning Torah? So there are many answers to that. We spent a long time. We had a series on that topic. But essentially, most define it as there are justifi justifiable things that take up my time. If I'm not doing any of them, I have to be learning Torah. I have to earn a living. I have to take care of my health. I have to sleep. I have to eat. I need time for recreation. I need to spend meaningful time with people in my life. So all those are justifiable times. And during those, it's not that in those moments I am not learning Torah. It's in those moments I'm exempt from an obligation. When is the obligation fall? When I'm not doing something meaningful, valuable, something that I can justify with my time. So one of those things is you gotta work, gotta earn a livelihood. Torah. If you don't pay the bills, you can't study Torah. So, the truth is that the every man, the average person has that defense. However, when it comes to the king, he's an exception. And why is the king an exception? That the king has to be exceedingly careful and cautious. He has to read the Torah every day of his life. He has to go overboard because the king again we said can be so easily become corrupt. the king can become compromised. The king can become arrogant and feel superior. And the great anchor that when the winds are blowing hard and they're trying to knock us off course, the anchor that holds us true is the study of Torah. So those who are in positions of power or leadership, who are most vulnerable, who have the greatest danger for for being distracted, they are the ones who even more so have to learn Torah on a regular on a regular basis, says. Torah is the anchor. Torah is the compass that calibrates our life and gives us his direction. The king who's responsible for all the people, the king who so easily can become arrogant and think he's above the law has to spend extra time studying the law. The more that you're in danger of thinking you're above the law because power corrup corrupts absolute power corrupts absolutely. And the king who can absolutely bring life and death has a special obligation to learn even to learn even more. So okay, we saw Rabbi Saxs as well. Moving along, we saw this king has to avoid being arrogant. We don't want him to veer from the mitzvah either right or left. And I'll just share with you because I found it cute and upcomingly relevant. He shouldn't veer right or left. What would make him veer right or left? Why right or left? So the garbas tells yadimir themed synagogue prints a Torah journal called Yadrim. Volume six of Yadim is coming out. It's going to the printer soon. So why did it get the name Yadrim? Because the bas tells us if you want to grow wise face the south. If you want to grow rich face the north. Why the south and the north? Because in the bis mikdash in the mishkan the manura was where? On the south. If you want to grow wise face the manura the south and the table was on the north. And the Torah the table stands for material wealth. Whereas the manura stands for the light of Torah. So if you want to grow wise face the light of Torah, face the south, fate the manora. If you want to grow rich, face the table material sustenance and growth. I always love to quote They say that's why the rabbi sits on the left side of the aron and the president sits on the right side because the Torah the gumar here is giving an instruction where to face. We face east towards but the rabbi who wants to yadim. So if you're to the left of the aron you're facing southeast because the rabbi wants greater wisdom. The president has got to make sure we stay on budget sits on the other side of the aon because he's facing northeast. So, he has to make sure you the budget. So, he sits to be able to face the is facing northeast. In any case, so the writes, the Torah says that the king has to be careful. Don't turn right or left. It means don't turn north or south. Don't pursue either wealth or wisdom. do what Hashem wants. So the reference to Yamis is a reference to Yadrim or Yatsbin north or south. And I thought that was worth quoting because our Torah journal Yadrim is going to the printer soon enough. And you don't seem nearly as excited about that as I am. Gimmel page 1032. Here the Torah continues about prophecy and warns us not to pursue false prophets. Don't don't read your horoscope. Don't go to the psychic friends network. Don't uh follow any silly superstition. Don't wear a red bendal or red string around your wrist. It's not going to do anything for you. In fact, the inas calls it. It's a form of idolatry or silly superstition as we have here. So in this context, Torah tells us don't read your horoscope. Don't go to psych psychics. Don't give into silly superstition. We left all that behind when we left Egypt. Egypt was a place of superstition and silliness. We don't believe in that. We believe only in Hashem. We don't believe in silly superstition. A cracked mirror and a black cat. And if you walk over someone or if you wear a red string around your wrist or if you believe any of this naroskite silliness superstition, we abandon all that. Hashem rescued us from all that. He took us out of the capital of that Egypt and he took us to a enlightened place where we know that there's a Hashem who runs the world and he's the only one we need to be worried about. And that's what the Torah cautions us. What does the word mean? T be complete or be whole. But what does it mean to be whole or complete? So Rashi says, "Don't try to predict the future. Don't go to a psychic. Don't do one of those weird Ouija boards. Don't open a book and see what page it turns out to and it's going to tell you what's going to happen." We don't believe in any of that silliness, says Rashi. Don't try to figure out the future. Whatever happens to you, accept and receive, receive. Live with innocent faith. Accept whatever happens without trying to figure out the future. Avoid superstition, fortune tellers, psychics. Leave the future in Hashem's hands and know you are where you're meant to be. Embrace your place. Let go. Let God. Don't worry about all these other things. So, the great understands this command differently. He says people get focused and anxious about the future. They wonder and they worry. Their imagination runs wild with unlimited possibilities, opportunities, and challenges about what the future might bring. What's going to happen? What's going to be? What if I get sick? What if we grow old? What if this works out? What if it doesn't work out? Where will we be? How will what's going to be? Says the Torah. Relax. Take a deep breath. Don't fear the future. Don't get worried about what's not yet here. Live life in the present with confidence and with conviction and faith that Hashem is in charge, that Hashem has a plan. Do everything you're meant to do. Do everything that we can. Take all the initiative that's in your hands and then let go and let God. That's the Torah instruction. That's what the Pik is telling us. Don't worry about the future. Don't worry about things you can't impact or change. Don't try to predict what's not yet here. Have faith that if you live in the present, if you're mindful and you do all you're meant to do in the here and now, that Hashem will take care of the rest. Let go and let God. The past and future are value and how they shape and contribute to the present. But don't forfeit the present because we're concerned about the future or because you're lost in the past. The countdown to rash has begun. We're now in the month of Ella. usually think of yad rashash shana as being judged. What do we get judged for? Were you nice or naughty? Were you good or bad? Hashem is going to open up the past year and he's going to see how we behaved. We think it's all about the past and accountability and the future and our promise and pledge for how much better we'll be in it. But we're wrong. We're wrong. I'll never forget years ago when I first came across this and it changed my entire understanding of these days. tells us we are judged not for the past and not for the future but only for the present. If you think about it for a moment, how could you be judged for the past? You can't change it. You can't go back there. Can't amend it. You can't edit it. How could you be judged for a future? It's not yet here. The only dimension we live in, the only dimension we have control over, the only dimension we make choices in is the present. And therefore, Hashem judges us only for the that moment. I So you'll say, "I'm off the hook. I spent a whole year looking at the wrong thing, saying the wrong thing, going the wrong place, being dishonest, cheating, being miserable, getting angry, being impatient, being corrupt, and I'm off the hook." No, you're not off the hook. If the past is shaping your present, you're still responsible for it. But if you've left the past in the past and in the present, you've redefined yourself. In the present, you're a new person, then the past you're not accountable for. Don't try to figure out the future and don't live in the past. Make the most of every moment by putting your faith and confidence in Hashem and live in Hashem. The Ram teaches in I wish we had time I'd read to you inside what the Ram writes. What does it mean to be anal? What does it mean to be the complete person? If you're living in the world of you hear someone's described he's the complete package. She's the complete package. What does it mean they're complete? Means they're missing a lot if they're described that way. But what does it mean they're the complete package? So the Ram says, you know what a complete package is? The complete person, I'm reading the translation, must always be mindful of his character traits, consider his actions, assess his soul's qualities each day, anything he sees within his soul, tending towards any extremes, be quick with the remedy, and not allow the bad quality to be reinforced by repeating the wrongful act. Also, he places before his eyes his deficient character traits and always tries to cure them. The Ram teaches the other the whole person is the person who lives at all times with self-awareness assessing his conduct identifying strengths and weaknesses. The whole person is not a perfect person. The whole person is the mindful person. The person who's in the present the person who's quick to recalibrate to pivot to make changes translates the word as shalim whole. Rula writes the command of requires following the Ram's prescription. What essentially the Torah is telling us to is be an constantly introspect, evaluate, live mindfully and purposefully carefully determine who we are, who we want to be, and then be that best version of yourself. Tumia doesn't mean be perfect, but it means be perfectly mindful. It means be present. Too many people are living life, they're on autopilot. They're mindlessly coasting through life. After repeating the same day over and over and calling it a life and means be present means be mindful, be purposeful, evaluate. Many people go through life mindlessly. They go through their day doing what they do but without thinking about it even for a moment. Being shalom is not about the quest to be perfect. It's not possible. And in fact working towards it will set you backwards not forwards. Being an adamash means to be a person constantly thinking and reassessing and growing and challenging means having a growth mindset not a fixed mindset. It means to be an adam be a whole person by being present in everything that we that we do. Uh we have time for one more. We have time for one more at the end of the para. At the end of the para, we have the story of the Eglar Rufa. A corpse is found between cities. We don't know where it belongs, and we don't know who the murderer was. So, there's a whole formula. The Torah tells us that you send out the elders that shines a light. All the news cameras come and do coverage. Maybe that will help us solve the crime and the murder. But the elders come and there's a ritual that they perform. And they concluded the elders of the city they say our hands have not spilled this blood and our eyes didn't see atone for and forgive your people. And Rashi here says Supreme Court's going to come to this little this little town. They're going to find this corpse and they're going to say wasn't us. We're not the murderers. We didn't do it. We didn't see who did it. We're good. Well, as if we thought it was them. As if we're about to accuse them that they have to say it wasn't us. Why are they saying that? When a person feels seen, when a person feels seen and they feel relevant and they feel they matter and they feel consequential, then that gives them the strength and the courage and the confidence to face and persevere whatever comes their way. But when a person feels invisible and inconsequential, that they don't matter and that they go through life unseen, then they're depleted of any energy. They have nothing inside to be able to fight, to be able to navigate. They have no resiliency. What happened here? This corpse tells us this individual left the city. Nobody escorted them out. Nobody gave them some. Nobody said, "Here's some food for the way." Nobody said, "Let me walk you out." Nobody said, "Let me send you and say goodbye. Let me Nobody said do you need any food to take with you?" What made the person vulnerable to be attacked? How did they end up a corpse murdered nameless? Because nobody bothered to help them feel seen. And that's why indeed the elders, a community whose leaders aren't careful to make sure that everyone feels seen, the blood of those corpse, that corpse is on their hands. This is a very powerful lesson, a very powerful message and one we could and should expand on another time, but particularly relevant for our generation in which there's so many struggles with mental health. And the language that so many use, so many use is, I don't feel seen. I feel invisible. I don't think I matter. I don't think anyone would notice if I disappeared. We have an awesome responsibility all of us in every community particularly the zakanuman the leaders of every community to ensure that no one lives in the margins that no one is neglected no one is invisible no one feels unseen there are people who do and I'll tell you I have a privilege as a rabbi sometimes to interact I recently did with two such people who both had the same reaction when I responded to something they shared with me they said thank you I feel seen I feel noticed that very language is exactly what the Torah is emphasizing here, the responsibility. So would we suspect really we're going to suspect that Zakanim murdered this corpse? Not directly. But if they led a people in a community that let people feel unseen, they let them walk out unescorted, they let people feel invisible and inconsequential, they don't matter, then a whole community who allows that are responsible for what happens to such a person. Hopefully that will never be us. We'll all take that care. Thank you for coming back. We're on rec regular time next week. Uh tomorrow morning we're back on with Tanya and living with Amuna. Have a great day. May we