Merits Of The Living | BH Films

There was a key line in Haifa. Where most of the people over there >> [music] >> were not very religious, but practically Baruch Hashem in every corner in Israel, there's synagogues. So, they had a synagogue over there, but they struggled getting a [music] minyan for Mincha. The gabbai saw there's only eight nine people. So, he said, "Okay, let me get another person." [music] He goes outside, sees nobody in, then he sees young guy, pizza delivery. >> [music] >> Israeli guy. Not religious at all. Cool cool earrings. But he said, "Okay, it's another Jew. Come on, you want to come complete a minyan?" And the young guy says to him, "No, come on, I'm over tea. Leave me alone. [music] I got work to do. I'm working." "Come on, please." "Do us a favor. [music] We need 10. I promise you." "Other people going to come, the moment they come, you can leave." He pressured him. He said, "Okay, fine. Fine, I'll come." He brings him to the synagogue, but as soon as he comes in, one [music] of the other people lost his patience and left. He says, "Okay. Okay, listen, you're already here. Stay away. I'm going to get another guy outside." So, the pizza guy, he's sitting there and the gabbai goes outside. In the meantime, the young pizza delivery guy is looking around the synagogue. Sees all the kedusha, sefer Torah, people with a kippah, and he starts thinking about his life. Starts thinking, "What am I here in the world? I don't really know anything about this religious stuff." He starts thinking. As he's thinking, the gabbai comes in with two other people. [music] They come in. The gabbai tells the pizza delivery guy, "All right, listen. I got it. You don't need to stay. You can go." So, the delivery guy says, "No. No, it's okay. It's okay, I'll stay." The gabbai, [music] he says, "No. No. No, it's okay. You can go." Meaning, "You're not [music] really the right fit for us. You're not really religious enough for us." And he gives him the boot [music] to leave. From this, the delivery guy gets really offended and leaves. [music] And the gabbai goes, prays like nothing happened. Goes and prays to Hashem. At least he thinks so. Later that night, he goes to sleep and in his sleep, >> [music] >> he dreams. And he sees the pizza delivery guy coming running at him and starts screaming at him. "I don't forgive you. Not [music] in this world and not in the next world. And I'm waiting for you. For what you did to me, I'm waiting for you to come here and pay for what you did." "And I don't forgive you. [music] Not in this world and not in the next." And he keeps repeating it. And the guy starts crying, "What did I do to [music] you? What did I do? I don't know what what happened. What did I do?" And the pizza delivery guy tells him, [music] "I was in that synagogue. I was in that synagogue and while [music] I was waiting, I started to think. I started to think about my life. And had you let me stay there, this is what would be." And he shows him a picture [music] of himself being completely religious. "This is what would be. But because you kicked me out, I left [music] and I got hit by a truck later that night and died. And now I'm in the bet din of heaven and I don't [music] have any Torah. I don't have any mitzvot. You're going to have to pay for what you did." He wakes up scared [music] to death. He says to himself, "No, this this can't be real. I mean, the Gemara says that most of the dreams [music] are not real." He goes back to sleep. And again, the delivery guy's back and screaming at him. "I don't forgive you. Not in this world. Not in the next world. Look what you did." [music] He shows him an image of himself religious with kids that are religious. >> [music] >> And the guy scared to death wakes up again. And a third time. "I don't forgive you." The guy wakes [music] up. He doesn't want to go back to sleep ever. His wife sees something's wrong. [music] What happened? He can't ignore it. He tells her what happened. She says, "You have to go to the [music] rabbi. You have to go to the rabbi. You have to tell the rabbi what happened." He goes to the local rav. The local rav is a chacham, but not to deal with something like this. He tells him, "Listen, [music] you asked me allowed not allowed. I can tell you certain things. What you did is not allowed, but I can't help you with this. Somebody from the bet din [music] of heaven wants to prosecute against you, I can't help you." He goes, but he's crying to him. He goes, "But rav rav rabbi, what am I going to do?" "There's only one chacham that can help you. But he doesn't accept people anymore. He's old." "Who?" "Chacham Ovadia." "Rav Ovadia Yosef? He's already [music] older. Doesn't really accept people anymore. But I don't know what to tell you. He's the only one that can help you. Go to [music] him and beg them to let you talk to him. He's in Yerushalayim in Har Nof." "Make [music] the ride." >> [music] >> "Now, I have to make my way to Rav Ovadia Yosef. He's the only chacham in the world that can help me." He makes the trip to Har Nof from Haifa. >> [music] >> Gets there. They tell him, "Listen, I'm sorry. Rav Ovadia is doesn't have doesn't see people anymore. He's tired. [music] He needs to learn." "No. No. No, I need to speak to him." He starts crying. They said, "Listen, I'm sorry, [music] you can't." "I'm not leaving. I have to talk to him. It's pikuach nefesh. >> [music] >> Life risk." "We're sorry. We're sorry. The rav told us no." The guy refuses to leave. He sits on the stairs in just hysterical crying. After a while, they see him [music] crying. They said, "Come on. Come on. Come in. We'll see what we can do." They bring him to the room >> [music] >> where Rav Ovadia Rav Ovadia is learning. After a while, Rav Ovadia raises head and he sees this [music] guy. And they tell him who he is. "No, come. Tell me." And the guy the gabbai tells Rav Ovadia [music] the story. Hoping for mercy. Hoping for >> [music] >> solution. As soon as Rav Ovadia hears the story, he gets angry with him. "Why did you do that? Kicking out A JEW OUT OF THE SYNAGOGUE? HOW CAN YOU DO THAT? WHAT KIND OF GABBAI ARE YOU? I CAN'T HELP YOU. YOU DEAL WITH IT. DO SOMETHING like that to a Jew?" >> [music] >> He scared the guy. If he was scared before, he was even more petrified now hearing Rav Ovadia rebuke him. Literally, it's almost like Hakadosh Baruch Hu opened up Gehenna where Korach is and put him in there. The guy doesn't [music] know what to do, but the gabbai'im for Rav Ovadia, the helpers, they said, "Okay, come on. The rav got upset. You have to leave. You have to leave." And the guy cries hysterical as he's leaving. And as he gets to the door, right before he's about to leave, Rav Ovadia says, "Wait." He turns around. "You, sit there. Let's see what we can [music] do with you." Doesn't say a word. "Yes, rabbi." He sits at a chair over there. He sits [music] there and Rav Ovadia goes back to learning. As if the guy's not there. A half hour, an hour, an hour and a half, two hours. Doesn't say a word to him. [music] After two hours, the guy falls asleep. In the sleep, what happens? The pizza delivery [music] guy shows up. And starts screaming at him. "I don't forgive you. Not in this world and not [music] in the next world. What? You don't think I know that you went to Chacham Ovadia? He's not going to help you. And I won't [music] do it anyway. I'm going to go against you for what you did." And he's yelling at him and the guy's crying. And all of a sudden, >> [music] >> as he's yelling at him, as he's crying, Rav Ovadia Yosef shows up in the dream. And he says to the pizza delivery guy, "Why? Why [music] are you doing this to him?" "No, rabbi. He did something bad to me." He says, "You're right. He did something terrible. But look, he's crying. He's sorry for what he did. He does He didn't realize he did something so bad. >> [music] >> Why don't you forgive him? Stop tormenting him." "No, I want to prosecute against because I would have ended up having mitzvot instead of nothing." >> [music] >> So, Rav Ovadia says to the pizza guy, "Listen. You're right. What if he takes [music] upon himself to learn four hours a day of Torah for your ilui neshama? Every day. >> [music] >> Would you forgive him then?" "No, I don't forgive him." Rav Ovadia says, "You know why? You don't know what the merits [music] of Torah is because you never learned Torah. I know how much Torah [music] is worth in this place. And I'm telling you, it's a good deal for you. Take the deal. You will learn four hours a day for your merit. It'll help you. I know what it is." >> [music] >> The guy wakes up, tries to figure out where he is. Opens [music] up his eyes. He's He's still in Rav Ovadia's office. Opens up his eyes. What does he see? He sees Rav [music] Ovadia standing next to him with his hand out. And he says, "Four hours. Don't forget." "Rav Ovadia, it's it's a lot. It's a lot. Four hours." "Four hours. That's [music] what we agreed. Don't ruin it." "Okay, rabbi." "Perfect. So, start today." [music] In the dream, in the world, in reality, in Rav Ovadia Karim. Those that cleave to Hakadosh Baruch Hu do not have the limitations of those that do not. To understand, [music] to say that you believe in Hashem, to say you fear Hashem, to [music] say you have awe of Hashem, to say you love Hashem, requires you to understand [music] what is the relationship supposed to even look like. >> [music] >> Because if each and every single one of us took upon ourselves to just start fixing one thing, one thing, and share it with another person, and they could fix [music] one thing, this in itself could make an extraordinary true revolution that is unlike anything else we've ever seen. [music] And as Hashem, Hakadosh Baruch Hu, hear our prayers and fulfill our will to do His will.