Rabbi Shalom Yona Weiss & Rebbetzin Slovie Jungreis-Wolff | Finding Gratitude in Our Relationships

[Music] want to thank everyone for joining us today this very special six annual night of gratitude we want to thank of course shun for hosting this tonight's event partners with so many amazing programs want to thank andone for part on this event of course we want to thank the partners um Amud em Outreach UJ orava the also our main group and of course you know the amazing work of Amud lifechanging work having a campaign coming up everyone you can get involved at United heal.com and um the shear is being dedicated by all group we Mar 17 y [Music] 28784 um by give a little history of the event um six six years ago um Robson wife's wife she came with she came with this idea and said that why do we only get together for for like big gatherings for for if there's a tragedy for to hill whatever it may be why don't we just get together for a night of gratitude just a just a focus of being grateful to grateful for our relationship all the blessings that we have in our life so re reached out toak and we've been organizing this event the last the six year last five years did the event in in um in H kodes white sure in Queens and this year we're doing this event right here in the five Town shun we're doing event on Wednesday um in in Queens at um of course we want to we know what's going on in in EN St that's where our our hearts and our minds are and of course but but we're still going to um focus on the the positive all the blessings that we have um and our our the gratitude for our relationships um with with um in in inter interpersonal relationships and of course we want to um say a quick word about the kazak organization which which we know has organized amazing events like tonight for men for women for young and old and for everybody and there's a big focus on on public school Outreach programs in 15 different locations inspireing hundreds of of today's youth so they can have the proper path and a special division called public which is transfer over, 1400 children from public school Yesa so everyone everyone knows if if you think for a second everyone knows a colleague a friend a neighbor relative children public school and we could be there for them and refer them toak um after school and Sunday school and Public School Division to give a a Jewish Education and without do we're for tonight we're here from here from race wolf and we're going to end off with the with Shan and do so not to repeat everything Robbie said but uh we're talking about gratitude I cannot also show my appreciation so for all the em and the the oldak it's it's incredible Robie the it was a few years ago really about seven eight years ago and things were happening in clol in the community and um there was Gatherings the hill Gatherings hakes all these things to help they were they were not proactive they were reactive and my wife said why don't we why don't how someone just doesn't organized just to get together and say thank you to hasem thank you for being alive like on a regular as my re CL a Tuesday in Tavis get together and just say we're get together people to to join together to make an event not just to to two people let's go out for lunch and say thank you read nishas to really make an event out of just being thankful to Express gratitude when everything is fine that's called proactive that's that's the way that you need to learn how to develop the Gratitude muscle so that before sh the need forem says I miss my children I haven't heard from them in so long and then what do you what do you do when you miss your child you have to call them if they don't pick up the phone you may have to go visit them if they don't pick they don't not ask you you may have to kick down the door because because you need a relationship with your children and I'm not saying sh we don't talk about why Hashem does things this is not that's not my place it's not anybody's place in this world but certainly hasem has told us the Torah ways to make things better in this long and bitter and dark Palace so my wife had the idea I was giving shirim at the time here in the five towns to a women's share and I mentioned it and as women typically do and this is why became a women's event women said okay it's a great idea Rabbi let's do it and as a rabbi said that's very nice I like talking about things I don't actually do them that's ridiculous but the women challenged me and they said bar you're talking about it's a good idea I said yeah do it I said okay so together when you want something done in at least in the New York area you call kazak kazak said okay I called Robie I said okay let's make it happen and before we knew it we had the first the first one a wiger myself and Charlie not in that order at all a wiger Charlie and myself and first year we spoke about gratitude used to say [Music] after in we we list everything all these things above everything which this feeling we're going to express a little more tonight and understand a little deeper tonight that feeling of to be part of you hasem your people your children this is why we thank you that's the top level and yearby year we went and really it's all about getting back to that it's about understanding the more than understanding experiencing and accessing the energy called gratitude we're you this is our Essence we have to learn how to work out that muscle in all the various aspects and areas of Our Lives we spoke Through The Years actually I was trying to remember all the years what we did first year we did that we we focused on that on on just second year was was um specifically thankful for my part of me being a y not just part of the Jewish people and we went on from there I think last year we spoke about thanking Hashem for the tough times so before we move on tonight I want to recognize kak and recognize um I don't know who wrote this who who made the flyer Robbie's uh Robbie's n cuz he wrote Finding gratitude in our relationships I didn't tell him what my subject was I I had not decided yet and and before he s me the fly I said you know what what's going on a St now this is what we need to focus on for then they send me the fire so I want to thank who I miss every day to teach Ina once a week I go and teach the in the three seminaries there what we're missing there were a few people that was able to see a Jew that everybody else walked by ignored maybe even looked down on maybe even made fun of maybe even wanted to have nothing to do with ra wall with his wonderful beautiful eyes was able to see every Jew the preciousness of every Jew the ones like the story of that were perhaps the darkest and dirtiest in the mud that seemed like that their entire was and all T and all horrible was able to see these people and to hold on to them and to bring out and to light them up we miss him very much and of [Music] course I know the family personally they're an unbelievable family they're very integral in my life in a personal story and uh to thank uh to thank rabbitson young rce wolf one of my wife's favorite speakers who came um you know it's hard as a speaker your speaking places and my I come home I say something in my wife said yeah you hear what Reon young wolf said like it was always but okay at least it's not another guy she likes her a little n but a lot also so one of my wife's favorite speakers it's a it's a privilege to speak with you and shangel one of my wife's favorite people in the world is shandel here she's getting her soundt ready she a special M so it's a really big recently I spoke at a and I said something that's quite unconventional I think that's the reason why most of my friends make sure that I speak at the because I tend to do that and I turned to the this was about two weeks ago and I said I want you as a as it may be well it's probably not so awkward when they're first married unfortunately it becomes awkward as we get older I said I want you to look into each other's eyes for a minute and the whole room went like you know this is little weird I said look into each other's eyes I said you know what spouse is it was a separate seating uh event in a as it spouse is across the room look at your loved one look at your spouse the one you chose to spend your life with and if you can look into their eyes for a little some did some did it I said I want you to realize at this moment right now when you're looking across the room when you're looking at that special person that other half of your soul statistically speaking you are looking at the person most likely to murder you that's what I told them and everybody had a similar reaction like this is not the start of a sh speech what most rabis give and say it's going to be amazing and and everything should be wonderful and you can love each other and bluebirds will wake up in the morning and that's what marriage is I like to make it real but what I was telling them in the message I gave over was it's an interesting statistic why is that so because the key ingredient to a relationship or one of the key ingredients I don't want to say the key ingredient one of the key ingredients is passion in that type of relationship certainly passion the things that the perhaps what kills more marriages than anything else is the lack of passion of excitement the opposite of love is not hate hate is part of passion if you hate someone if you're passion and you passionately hate someone you're all far all excited about it that can be very easily converted to love because there's a feeling there of connection apathy is the opposite of Love totally not caring K we're at an unbelievable moment in history we have to be thankful for that as well although there were T that expressed their desire from to come and then in the same breath expressed that they had no desire to be there when he came because it is a difficult time but it's a special time and all the in our lives we'll find that the special and the difficult always are hand in hand at least wus for this last few minutes exists and right before this October 7th perhaps an hour before the same y that are dancing together now and singing and holding each other and visiting each other in hospitals and sending gift baskets and woring and doing for each other who doesn't have at least one soldier's name written down that they're doing for every day I I I hope there's nobody everybody should find a way to make sure you have at least one soldier's name that you know is my Soldier I have some others but that's my Soldier a moment before what was the feeling between these two y the M that we going around the statistically speaking who is ready to murder the other who is using Theos I I I'm I can't repeat ever let alone base matters in front of the AR KES what Jews were saying about each other in a moment it was gone it's incredible where we are there's still some outliers whether some of these people are really Jewish this interesting Al you know where AAL Kana is the of which is why we decided to do this in Kana it's of of gratitude a brought down that if you did not light your own candle for whatever re and you're unable to light your own candle you can pass by the candle somebody else that Lit and you can make a because you're not making you're allowed to make and you can you can fulfill your obligation with someone else's life that is unique amongst all you cannot just look at someone's and say you cannot look at someone's you cannot look at someone's you cannot look at someone's you cannot look at someone's whatever ha covering you can't look at anybody's anything and be y with that by we have this IND this idea that we can look at somebody else's and be you know the Greeks the they outlawed three things really four things right Torah in general they didn't want us learning Torah certainly not in the way that we were learning Torah they didn't want they didn't want and they didn't wantas I don't want to spend too much time on it but if you think about all of these four things these are identifying what makes a jeice special Shas is only for the T we're engaged to you're now all to teach Torah to a non shows a specialness of a Jew because it we control time hasem gave us a keys of time until a Jew walks into Bez it says that I saw the the m i saw the new moon andz has to Sayes KES it's not you could push off you push off they have the power to make and bris of course is the identifying factor of a Jew what that means is what you have really against and therefore what we need to celebrate is the unique specialness of a y that's really what they were against they were fine with philosophy and and and Mathematics and Sciences even learning Torah in such a way right the one of the greatest tragedies of all time that happened around now as well is the is the translation of the Torah into into Greek to the 70 languages the Greek particularly now who represents khah more than anyone if you had to go through the r the the Seven Shepherds was y we even have that apply from y just take take a few minutes and just to understand and unravel this and understand our connection with Hanah and being appreciative and understanding for every other Jew and moral explains inem some other places explains that the essence of Darkness and Light is really about light is about connecting to something someone else light is a social energy when you have light more than anything else the essence of R you're able to see others that's that's it's not to see the walls it's not to see you could feel around it's to see others the first time we have the word to in the in the in the Torah by he saw it was good that test over there is the first test test in the Torah that test has four crowns on it it's the only test in the Torah that has four crowns on it they little called tag on on letters the only one that has four normally it has three is the first test and the b s teaches that 9 * 4 test equal 9 * 4 is gach 36 because it's hitting at the 36 candles OFA 1 plus 2 plus 3+ 4 plus 5 plus 6 plus 7 plus 8 is 36 the 36 light of the 36 candles of of of there are 36 times in the Torah that or and and are mentioned everything has to do with 36 because what's 36 36 is also that are 36 sadik that hold up the world the tells us the idea of 36 hidden sikim is more Broad in cabala just mentions 36 sadik that hold up the world in every generation that means that we're all connected to the we all connected to this told he saw the or that it was good what's the goodness of light light is good why because what's the opposite of good low to where do we see low to the first time in Torah low to the first time you see low to has say it's not good for man to be alone so what's to Art what's art to be together with when you together with when you learn to to see them to appreciate them and to love them before that why do you want to be together with somebody else the whole idea of of the 36 candles is to me tole the idea of of is 36 to be alone 36 candles is only there to connect us to the others therefore the is that when you see it out of the window somebody else is you can connect to it but it's very interesting you cannot take from one candle to the other and light because part of seeing the is also seeing that they're unique you see if you look at other say I'm Aid you're a yid you're not truly being M to for that yid you're being M to for another y they're good I'm happy there another yid out there but they're like me it's another girl another guy what's special about them means to recognize the good to see recognize means you get close enough you look at them and you see what's unique about their flame their candle what's shining about that Jew they're their own candle the candles can't be together not only that you cannot take from one candle to life of the other cuz that's a special candle that's that belongs to that person it's Unique I can't draw from it to make myself unique I have to be unique Hashem wants me in this world Hashem wants that person in this world his entire life was that look from the very beginning says's Essence was another child another Jew he was named because his Essence is another Jew he follow along further yob send him to go see his brothers his whole thing is his brothers everything with Y is in with his brothers go look at the piece of your brothers this was from his father you move on the brothers came to this is the essence of Y he saw his brothers and he recognized them this is what y was all about the indion of light Yosh is thrown into a pit we learned that the the manora can't be taller than 20 from y from that pit because if it's wor than 20 then my eyes cannot see them I won't naturally see them Hashem wants to the Norah to be the place that I will naturally see the light of another Jew what he's lighting and bringing to this world more than 20 the brothers want they didn't want to see him they want to deal with him but Yos is the one that that seated the Gula before the Gus in MIT which is the root of all the other exil many all the other Exiles have their root in in and therefore where do we see what do we see by what's the what's the definition of one man cannot see his brother this is the essence of light and the Y of light the essence really is about seeing our brothers and sisters we've become so used to being around other Jews Hashem did something amazing on October 7th something painful tragic difficulty difficult challenging heart-rending Earth shattering but hopefully hopefully was lifechanging for all of us and the way it should change is to see to see how clo is looking at each other now it's so beautiful and I I I want to push everybody a little bit please don't it's not the time for now but when you learn more about the eyes and what we see and how important it is take the opportunity in these last few minutes before mashiah to watch Good Stuff don't watch all the talking heads and the rad it's not good it's not good for our eyes and our see the face of rash it has a damaging effect to not watch this stuff not listen don't get all caught up in it watch all the beautiful things and the stories that are coming out and watch the singing of the of the and them lighting the candles in Gaza my son um today was Inon going to visit he's in Yesa and he went to visit the reservist Inon they don't it's the people to visit them nobody visits them because they're all the reservist the older guys and they're not in the fight and whatever and my son and I spoke to thing he said Tom we're singing and dancing with them Bunch OFA guys he says they ask us to write letters to them we're bringing they made a massive barbecue for them what Jew doesn't love a good barbecue free food says that's not what they care about they keep talking about being noticed being connected to and being appreciated this this is essence essence of what a Jew wants it's the most painful thing in the world to not be noticed this is this man to see other people's lights I want to end with AA it's a bit of a long M I'm going to try to do it as fast as I can I was going to say a different my I have a cabala that when hasem put something in my head have careful such a cabala I should speak about it you have to really make sure especially me crazy things come in here but I want end if it's okay Reon I'll try to do it in 3 minutes even though it's a it's a m that spans about 70 years it's becoming more of a famous m i I heard this quite a few years ago but it's the fifth night of Hanukah as I was lighting I remembered this my and it's it's m what we're talking about so there was there was a of mos greenal he told his story over to his son to excuse me told it over to his son who told it over to the editor of magazine and this is how was printed but this was heard from his mouth now Rob was born in Poland in LGE Poland in 1911 his father died when he was 8 years old and he left his mother alone with seven young orphans they had a cousin may have heard of her was one in pre-war Europe an unbelievable unbelievable genius and Raa himself raised this R Fe he raised him it came in 1928 now try if you can to hold cup to to pay attention to the dates here because are important was the 14th of klave 1928 5689 and this is the famous date because this is when the rebi married she was the daughter of the last he was a son-in-law even though his name Wason he was a son-in-law of AE wedding in more so a lot of came to to take partake in the wedding and uh there were a lot of big sadik in therea decided to go Anda took Robin C with him as a kid he took him to to go he was 17 at the time so they went and they raged to visit the rebi at his hotel and Rosa was very impressed and he used to talk about a lot about speaking to the RAB and when they were ready to leave the rebi remember what's called the he turned to and he said you know um um you should really visit my son inlaw he something special I've never heard about him he was people were already talking about the reab before he got married his genius he says okay so so he arranged a meeting with him and and they were talking and learning and just as was ready to leave the said the follow he says you know there are only a few days left until do you know why it's customary to celebrate and make parties in the fifth land of Han that's a big men now the truth is did not know about this and and the was there they didn't know about this Min have it's a very very big so the re continued and he says I'll tell you the answer he says when the fifth night of Kan can never happen on chabas according to the calendar it will never ever fall on chabas what does that represent a day that can never fall on chabas represents a very dark day shabas is cool are right the first shabas of creation there was no Darkness so he says what that means is the fifth candle symbolize that the light of can illuminate even such intense darkness that it's not candles can light that up and this is the duty of every Jew this is what he said wherever he may find himself whether it's in warsa Moscow or in in London this what he mentioned to illuminate even the greatest Darkness that's the job of every Jew okay let's fast forward years passed Holocaust hit horrible things obviously and this reviv speed lost his wife and and his first wife and five children were killed in front of his eyes for a little while after the war he went around the DP camps looking for the sisters brothers everybody was murdered 1948 20 years from the first meeting with the RAB he immigrated and he went to America he settled in Philly where he had Uncle um this fast forward a little and this greenal convinced him that uh to meet to meet his future wife she also Liv to the war and this woman was uh was uh also came from great sikim and she was raised by their great uncle this s of K Schwarz who is uh Jew in Toronto so you have this woman in Toronto you have this Rob now living in Philly and they were introduced to to get married but he needed encouragement like many many Jews did and therefore a CLE from Tonto traveled with him to the rebba to to get a when he met with the Reb this is 1948 the previous re was still alive I know this an intricate story I'm sorry but if you can hold it it's worth it and they went to the rayat and the rat saw him and he he told him that he was a holocaust surv the re started crying and he gave him a that you should build a family and a long life before leaving the Survivor SE mentioned that by the way I was at your daughter's wedding in wara as a little kid so he says oh so if you were there and you met my son-in-law you should go see him now also so they they went upstairs to the re's office and immediately and this is C there no matter how many thousands people saw him the re looked up and right away recognized him and he said where's can you tell me you came with can you tell me about's last day days okay they talked he told him the details he said I wasn't with him when he was killed anyways they talked a little bit and the reev turned to me he says I want you to know something since my father-in-law told you to come Vis me so I have to tell you a tah concept we're now in the month of K close to and it's and it happens at the 5th Nevers and he told him the same word again 20 years ago he told him the same idea and then he ended he said it's a job of every Jew whether you find yourself in New York Philadelphia or London again he mentioned to illuminate even the greatest Darkness so Rob he was stunned he couldn't exact same thing he told him 20 years before in the war soel okay fast forward a little he got married he he he was a rebi for Adas congregation washing Heights and then they went and he had some children and they moved to Toronto where ofap gave got him position was in Toronto his first son was getting married 1968 40 years from the first meeting of the reab Robert told his son the person telling over the story that we're not about you to see them but since I went before my wedding I wanted to bring you before wedding they traveled from Toronto was very hard at that point to 1968 to see the re it wasn't so simple they flew him from Toronto and they were able to make their way in and they wrote a note thinking that they were just going to get a quick the gab said you're going for don't don't do anything else you got to move the line you can't you can't hold up the re so they gave a note and the rabit didn't even look at the note instead before he said it's been 20 years since he came here I haven't seen you in 20 years re like that he says it's you should have come earlier especially my father-in-law sent you to see me I can't believe you to come see me see Roby was totally shocked by this and the secretary is knocking on the door and goes no no no no and the rebel waved him away and he opened the letter and he gave a to the son to build a home and then he also gave a to and he said just as you attended my wedding I'm giving you a br you should attend your grandchild's wedding that's what he told him he was very mov now before leaving again my father said re can I ask you a question he said I don't need to be but in s back in 1968 were and they were very upset alab was going out and the M Jews that seemingly were doing things against the Torah and he said you know I'm sorry but I I um I need to ask you how do I answer my sare neighbors I'm teaching in the S how do I answer that this is the tier they have on the bage and they grew up Su him and one who hat me hates God he said what should I answer whoever hates you Hashem I will hate the says so the re said let me ask you a question let's say the daughter of one of your neighbors one of your s neighbors let's say the daugh little later she went off to she left what would he do would he quote that P and say I have to hate her now or would like a father has Mercy on his daughter he would try to be car and try to bring her back as his daughter say every Jew is hashem's child that's the way we look at it and we don't give up on any Jew in God's eyes every Jew is dear precious and only child to my father-in-law the re said every Jew is a relative who cannot be ignored that's why we do what we do okay Reb looked at him and he said you know let me give you a br 1920 194 is 1968 it's know celebrate theth night of and do you know why the fifth night of he went through the same thing and so on he says the duty of every Jew where he find yourself be in New York Toronto or London again he mentions it every Jew is part of Hemm he only child when you illuminate his soul even the furthest Jew in the darkest place can be awakened again he couldn't believe it the whole plan back is amazing amazing 40 years later he's saying the same thing 10 years past 1970 I told this a long story I'm sorry my youngest brother the youngest child got engaged to a girl from London they're about to leave in the plane next door there's a s a neighbor he comes knocking he says I heard you going to London for the wedding he says yeah he says I I don't know what to tell you and he starts crying he says my daughter left you the remember what happened 10 years ago what the reab told him says my daughter left you the she ran away she's with some guy in London can you please do what you can can you find her this is 1978 it wasn't easy to get a phone it wasn't so simple he gave him whatever information he knew and he says I'm going for the wedding but I I'll try okay they had the wedding they were in Lon for 12 days when during this told what happened that he has a neighbor that's looking for his daughter he says you have any advice you live here in London how do I find this young girl so what does everyone say he went on lots of lots of missions for the re if anybody could track her down he'll do it they called him came over he called the the s father in in Toronto he got an information he could get he says I'll do what I can so my the robin were there for 12 days one day during CH callson says meet me at T and tou apartment right away he comes to the apartment and there's the girl and she's crying hysterical in the apartment he found her and he had convinced her to come back to Toronto with the family here's where it gets crazy I looked around the room and he saw the manora and the manur was lit with five candles who was the fifth L of Kaneka and he remembered the re's words from 50 years ago from 30 years ago and from 10 years ago the fifth candle symbolizes strength of the manor light the role of every Jew is to light of the darkest place in Warsaw in London in New York in London in Toronto in London and if his daughter were to straight away from you for every Jew for for Hashem every Jew is an only child for my father every Jew is a relative not be ignored the girl returned to her family and to Y and Le say from that day on the S was not so against the ways ofage to end the story when a returned to Canada he felt a strong desire to see the re again he wanted to to tell him what happened it was Tish that year of 1980 and he went to go get a with the re he came with the reev and he told him the whole story and the Reb's answer was ah my father-in-law had such cuz his father-in-law had sent him to him in 1928 all those years before this man Robin Fe passed away on the 14th day of K exactly exactly UH 60 years from the time re who gave him a it was right after his the wedding of his grandchild the re gave you should leave to to see your grandchild's wedding 60 years later 14th the exact day he passed away this is this is what we're supposed to be doing finding the darkest places the Jews that look the furthest that look like there's no light there and taking the effort take suff to dig to dig past what looks like dirt and Tuma and find the light because that's what allows another Jew to light up their own candle they won't do it sometimes on their own they meet us and we need each other every Jew needs another totally it's not good to be alone to to focus on to be M told and thank hasem for that Jew thank hasem for that too and thank that je for that to should help us all see each other as the lights the powerful unbelievable litic lights that we all are that should bring the ultimate light here we are the days are very short and the nights are very long we see that it feels very very dark outside and that's not just because it's winter for amol right now it feels as if the nights are very long lot of so what do we do Hashem has given us such a beautiful a beautiful mat and that is the gift of KH each one of us has opportunity to bring not just any light into our home but coition they're holy lights and what are we supposed to do with these lights that are Illuminating our we have no permission to do anything with them not to find warmth not to find light not to use it to read or to see Ella but there is only one thing that you and I can do with these holy nails of KH do you know what we can do with them we can just look at them that means that we all must stop stop talking stop running stop scrolling stop texting start sitting start thinking start seeing start contemplating that's what is all about to be able to stop everything that we're doing and just see why one reason kanah is truly the Jewish Thanksgiving it's a time for us to have Aus at and what does it mean to have Aus at it it doesn't say to see good means that I'm here to recognize good because I could see you but if I don't recognize you I don't know who you are so I could see good but if I don't recognize that it's good I have no idea that it's good Kana is about sitting thinking contemplating having vision and now creating do you know what we create an i in TOA a positive eye because when I have an i in to when I have an eye that's positive then I see myself I see the world I see my relationships I see claw you in a totally different light I put on a different lens it's a lens of having an ey in TOA the most miserable people in the world are the complainers the Fetchers and the blamers the miserable so they'll go to AA party and the lkas are too soggy the donuts aren't the fancy ones the food's not good enough and instead of seeing the life and the love and the good they sit there and they're upset and they're complaining and they lose the night they lose the love they lose the I tonight we are here to discover how to create this light within our lives because that can transform us to create an I am to to create a positive eye on October 7th and since has been reing we have been in and darkness if we are going to sit down now and say why why Lama we will not have an answer we have no nine today we have no Prophets we don't have M we don't have Esther we don't have [Music] mosh we don't have an answer if we are going to spend our time day and night just looking through the news or scrolling or forwarding we're not doing anything to help on Israel this doesn't do anything for AR Israel but instead of asking Lama why we can ask Lima for for what purpose hasem for what purpose I don't want to sit in the pain anymore I want to find purpose in my pain I want to create from the destruction I want to construct from all the grief I would like to find a there's only one way to do that and that comes through creating a positive eye n to if I'm able to do that if I'm able to live and recognize the good if I'm able to create this atmosphere of attitude of gratitude do you what I become I become a person of light show me a person who lives with a and I will show you a happy person don't we all want to be that person nobody wants to be the complainer the blamer the cretcher the one with the negative eye so H comes and The Whispers to us look at my light I have a message for you I chus have told how do you and I create that what are we supposed to do as we contemplate and look at the light of theora the first thing that we must do is we have to contemplate the of the first night of we all [Music] say thank you Hashem for giving me life for bringing me to this moment for bringing me to this time do you know what the the blessing of means it means I say yes to life I say yes to life thank you for bringing me here to this moment to this place not I don't want to be here this isn't good that isn't good she isn't good he isn't good we've all seen many many different clips these past few next and some have touched us deeply that has touched me very deeply is a clip of a group of young people teenagers young adults they're sitting around in a circle if you start to look very closely you see that every single one of them is sitting in a wheelchair missing a leg every single one lost a leg October 7th in the middle of the circle is a very famous singer in ER Israel he's speaking to them and there's one beautiful boy he says b if the master of this universe chose to Keep Us Alive if the B L on that day gave us life that means that we have a purpose here that means that life is good that means that you and I have something to accomplish in this world something more to do we have something to do and life is good he turned to the singer he said yes bakha I have a request can you s me your song my life is a field of strawberries and the singer said I would never think to sing you that song but if you want me to sing that your life is a field of strawberries then I will sing that for you and this beautiful boy as he hears the song you know what he does he start is clapping he starts singing and then he even tries to stand up from his wheelchair and do a dance who cannot be transformed from seeing the spirit and we who can walk into this room are we not obligated to have a chus at 12 to be able to look at the light and see the Braha in our lives this becomes the mission of am Israel to be able to see the light to be able to have that positive eye of to be ye means this time I say thank you to you Hashem this time meaning every time there is no word there is no word in lash Kesh for history because you and I have no history if a word is not found in tanak that means it's not true there's no word for history how do you say history you just say hisyory yeah hisia no we don't have history do you know what we have we have a sea poor we have a story The seor of heas is the seur of Isel because our seur our story goes on and on and on in a cycle hanuk buring Bellon the re is there do you know what that they wanted to like nor and bur Bellon how do we do that they each say so together with the re one man gave his clock gave his wooden clock his shoe that became the minora all the different prisoners all the different Jews for days they started to unravel their shirts their uniforms and take out strings one by one by one until they were able to create Wicks from strings out of their unifor arms somehow they were able to get their hands on some shoe polish and now they're ready to light minora first night Kana BL re is standing outside outside of the barracks they had just beaten some Jews to death their bodies are just lying there in the cold in the Barrack you have these few these few Jews the re's ready to light the inora he begins with the first bra everyone says [Music] next made miracles in those days at this time everyone says amen now the re is ready to say but there's a pause everyone's silent somehow the re's looking around the room BL re he's searching here he's searching there and then the re [Music] says after the re lit the clog the shoe the manure ber and bson one man came over to him and said Reby the first BR I understand second [Music] okay why would you say who wants to be in this G you're saying thank you to Hashem for bringing us to this place for keeping us alive to this Moment For What and the Reby said I had the same question as you so I paused because I was looking in the crowd to see if I could see another REI in the room I wanted to know should I really say do I really say this but then you know what happened I looked around the room and I Saw The Shining eyes of every Jew every Jew standing in the room while outside outside they know that there are brothers and sisters speaking to death but they still want to hear the of and I say thank you hasem for bringing me to this place to see the light in the eyes of Jews that no matter what we go through we still want to see and bless and make a this is the story of Israel whether it's bur bson whether it is Jews today all over the world post Massacre post torture and killing post the worst and most difficult days since the Holocaust and here we are still Gathering Together wanting to hold on wanted to see the light means that you and I have a curse and told that we are part of this incredible people the that we have seen has been incredible Jews here connected to Jews there we don't know each other but you want to collect jackets and toys and equipment and army gear I know people sending drones who sends drones ter from it's unbelievable outfitting communities crying for each other doing for each other taking names just because we're brothers and sisters so I say tonight thank you for allowing me to see the beauty of Israel at this time thank you for allowing me to see women who come out on the night of kanah it's so freezing outside for wordss of light what a beautiful Nation we are has hours why gatria of b m in everything from everything with everything do you know how to create Braha during these days askes when you sit in front of the lights of youur help me in this world thank you for everything that you've given [Music] me am do you know how to create in your lives call every hour of count [Music] that's number one and number two as we contemplate the lights of Kana what are we supposed to be thinking what are we supposed to be seeing what are we supposed to have a Coro for for the people in our lives every year we read about y That's not a coincidence you see y was truly the first makabi y was in the r he came down at 17 years old 17 to be the only Jew in m at 17 to be loyal to be strong more difficult than being on a college campus today as the only Jew and that's very difficult but before y see came down to its rain do you know what the Torah describes yob says to Y go down go find your brothers has Shalom see if they have peace and yse is plundering in the field to he meets who says what are you doing you looking for I'm seeking my brothers before yose discovers where his brothers are the P describes their feelings for [Music] him they hated him Bel y d Shalom and they could not speak to him even the word Shalom hello because when you talk lar about somebody when you feel like you're allergic to somebody when somebody annoys you when you don't appreciate somebody you create a barrier and the misunderstanding grows and the distance grows the sh and it comes to a point where you cannot even say hi how are you we have to look away we can't sit at the same table at a Sim we have to cross the street we have to go down a different aisle in the supermarket why do we meet this at KH because must must have a car for the people in our lives we must have we must see the life that we have there was a beautiful his name was or light I watched or's father you would think that you're watching just a regular man p and you have no idea that you are really seeing and watching and hearing exic in our times or beautiful or fell in battle now and or's father in his interview is asked about his life so he begins to speak he tells us that he has three three children a girl and two boys he raised him alone because as a young man as a young husband his wife passed away from cancer how did you do that all alone the person asks Bor he says the creator of this world gave me koak and so I raised these children then he explains that his oldest son was tragically killed in an accident or was witness to the accident comes time for or to join the Army but he doesn't have to cuz his older brother died so he calls up his father and he says ABA what should I do should I join the Army I don't want to leave you alone ABA or his father says he told him you do whatever it is that you feel is the right thing to do or dreams the Army he becomes a while he is training his father describes every single day or calls me and says Shalom ABA and I love you so so much and then or's father begins to cry he says there's a void inside of me right now that nobody can ever feel because every single day my boy called me and nobody does that he understood what a father needs I have a hole now he says there's a hole in my heart and I don't know what to do cuz nobody calls me anymore he turns to the camera and he says I'm speaking now to you I'm Israel I want you to remember my or there has been a battle in our nation a battle of sin and I am asking every single person who hears my words to say I will be an r in this world I will call somebody I will make Shalom with somebody I will say shalom to somebody even if you're not like me even if we're different even if we don't agree can't we still say shalom can't we still say hello to each other I am asking you to remember my or he says and we we who can make the call tonight when we leave on these days of the must be somebody for us to call to say shalom I'm call to tell you that you give me light I'm calling to tell you I need Oh Heaven I love you I love you my friend I love you my mother I love you my father my sa my S my pubby my S my husband my wife my child my friend I'm Israel I love you is it so difficult I'll tell you the truth I sat once with a couple they were having sh bias issues after listening to both of them I said first to her this is what I want you to do don't worry he'll have his homework but when he comes home every night from work I want you to just get off your phone look at him and say hi honey I'm so happy to see you and put a smile on your face she looks at me she says I can't do that so you can't do that which part can't you do is it the hello is it getting off your phone is it the smile is it hi honey I'm so happy to see you the whole thing it's just too hard or to bring light to be that light to be able to say shalom not to be like theim who had hatred in their hearts to be able to say shalom I love this [Music] nation what do we do to create Shel we take three steps back we turn to the left we turn to the right because to make sh in life at times we must take three steps back and we have to turn to the people to the left of us we don't know them maybe we don't agree with them but we have to make sure because we're one family and then we turn to the people to the right of us I don't know who you are I don't agree with you we don't think the same but we Bend because that is how we make shom so comes and we are given this gift to create peace to know that we have light in this world to know that the minora is speaking and whispering to us every single night a wish us we have no permission to do anything only to see them and if a person does not feel shov what are they supposed to do y gives us the answer yoseph finally declares who he is I'm yoseph I'm your brother the brother that you sold how would you how to be high is my father still alive what is the reaction of the brothers they cannot speak they cannot talk they're full of billbo and the P describes them yose looks at them and he says ALU don't be sad and don't be angry don't look at each other in Anger now because there's been a lack of shom because you sold me we've had problems it's true but it's time now for shom he may for a purpose we must find purpose in the pain y is teaching us because without finding purpose in the pain to if you're left with my friends you're left with one thing and that's called suffering comes to teach us that we are a nation of Miracles we are a nation that creates shov that creates Peace So I ask you tonight to think and remember remember the young boy who asked that we just sing that life is a field of strawberries remember the BL that he saw the light of the people around him instead of the darkness remember the of shalom I love you so much that becomes our mission and we should seek and yesu and love of with all the has given us thank you so much for [Applause] listening