Secrets behind the Purim Mitzvahs

behind the things that we'll be doing uh we have I think altogether there's five mitvah that we'll be involved with u one is uh giving the half shekele one is we'll be um actually we got Tina sester half shekele the um we'll be doing the mcgilla reading we'll be saying alhim we'll be giving uh gifts to the poor and we'll be um giving uh gifts to friends and we'll be doing a a drunken meal like a festive meal um in this year because it's por mules this is the last time we'll have P mules for 20 years so are you going to be in yam for this what are you guys doing like I yeah I would just come you know but this is um anyway it's a very special year in Jerusalem and let let's go into each thing without a lot of without a lot of elaboration but then one thing we'll be doing uh is we'll be giving a half a shekele people have different Customs when they give it um and our community we generally give it right before porm starts like the Min before porm I don't know what you guys do but most people do that and and what's interesting I still don't haven't gotten an answer for this but people give three half shekels which makes absolutely no sense that's not half a shekele that's a shekele and a half I don't know the last time anyone did the math half no you're not supposed to give more in fact the Torah says if you're rich don't give more and if you're poor don't give less half a shle but our customers give three and the reason why people give three is because it says the word truma three times in the Mitzvah of giving half a shekele it says it three times okay like that's great I'm happy it says it three times but the Mitzvah is half a shekele not three halves of a shekele which is a shekele and a half I don't have an answer for that yet but um you can ask me soon because I will get an answer so the person I know who I've already found the person who has the answer I just haven't had a chance to talk to him what right [Music] um it's um this is the this is a census it's a Census count and um I think it more maybe has to do withes I don't know exactly what the answer to your question why now but I think it it's important to precede Nissan with this there was a census taken in it was a Babas for the Bas M for the mishan to give this money for the for the temple um but anyway the let's just I don't have the answer but they says that like right right was make it like the right there maybe that's why yeah could be the reason we do it right before porm is to is to give that sadaka before so to speak hmon tries to pay for the right to kill the Jews which uh which of course aashish the king said the money was given already and which is uh you know it has its own explanation so half a shekele has to do with humility half a Shea has to do with humility it has to do with like you're not giving a whole thing you're giving half a thing why because the whole that you are the whole that you actually are is your soul and your body and your ego and your persona and all that stuff is is uh is really a fraction of who you are and so that half a shekele is is a h uh a sign of humility as a gun if you're in the second Road could you be right here yeah amazing so the uh yeah perfect okay now we're going to um oh as far as the fast of eser it's it's interesting in the fast of Esther it doesn't mention prayer at all all it mentions is fasting but what we what we get through this this day of fast by the way this is a day of intense prayer it's just the mcgilla doesn't mention prayer and it doesn't even mention cha and it doesn't even mention Aus but that's what the fast was the Jews were spread out so Amal gets goes after them the Jews had gone to's party so the Jews are fasting to Du Chua and the Jews were meaning they were disunified they were partying at parties they don't belong at and they were um and they their hearts had disconnected from Aim so what is the fast for those three things Unity of of the Jewish people um chuva over uh any sins that might have led to the Jewish people being in trouble with with meaning the Gentiles are only allowed to come after us if the Jews aren't behaving if you remember when J when asev said don't you have a blessing left for me after yob stole the blessing and ASA begged y for a bless blessing he gave him a blessing in the end Rashi says that blessing is only fulfilled ASV only gets his Blessing which is partially is that he's going to be you know living by a sword is that he'll get his Blessing to live by a sword as long as the Jews aren't keeping our our end of the bargain if we distance from God then they get their strength so this fast is to get you back to unite with cl back to Chu over things you might have done and lastly is to um get back to aim now if you can do those three things so then this special day has a massive power over over the goam we are going into and we already went in there because yud Olive is really the first time that energy begins and today's yud Olive so starting last night porm started perm started and I can't remember why is it because we can read the McGill already from y Olive yeah you can read the mill already from yud Olive why why can you read the mill from why oh people out of town like people live far away yeah it had to do with them coming in I haven't learned sex Mill in a long time but the anyway so that means that porm started we're in porm now for the next period of time and does it end on test or it keeps going up T uh but isn't that interesting our part is going to be on on T our part is going to be on not on the 15th our part's going to be on the 16th now um but here's the thing what is fasting how does fasting cause this and it's similar to the half Sheck on is that when you fast you lose your resolve you're humbled when you're fast I mean think about Yom Kipper y Kipper just takes you down down raise your hand if uh if many of the years you only really had a breakthrough moment between Russ Shan Yumer that your breakthrough moment really only came at the during the ELA like at the very end when you were just wiped any of you guys ever had that where you had you ever had a breakthrough moment and you give no so I bless you to be in the right place the right time on yum KRA that you have your breakthrough moment but it is something to have that happen I mean you just fall apart completely but it but obviously the prayers have a lot to do with it but it's the fasting where you're just there's nothing left in you there's something very humbling about fasting it you know it's like the knees you know when you bend your knees what happens to your head you know if that's your head these are your knees and you bend them where's your head now yeah so it it lowers you fasting lowers you it's been used in all cultures historically for hum for humbling the ego okay so you humble your ego okay now my my ego is humbled and I'm starting to think twice about doing the wrong things about doing the sin what humble they don't get too humble they it's impossible to know what they go through fasting every day for a month but but the the point is is that when you get humble you're less likely to sin when you get humble you're less likely going to sin did you guys know that the Torah juxtaposes humility with sikim and and um and GAA arrogance with r they're ju supposed and they're used interchangeably right what do we say in Kito zra in in the zra say we say uh oh gosh [Music] gives support to the humble and the evildoers mean people who sin um he he he U messes up their path so what it said anim and then R you see how humble people are just supposed to to evil people shouldn't it say The Righteous versus evil no it says the humble versus evil why because and it's throughout tum you'll see it all the time there always Chuck suppos um because when you're humble I mean think about what is an AA an AA is what you had the urge to do what you desire to do when you do something wrong why cuz you want to do it well what if you were like well who the hell are you what who you ego Maniac who thinks he gets to do whatever he wants who are you that you just get to go do that a humble person's like okay I want to do it I'm not going to lie I want to do it but God's in charge I'm not the boss God's the king got that so that's for AAS that's the fasting for AAS the fasting for uh for Aus is when you're humble you're connected to people right when you're humble CU When I'm Not humble so I'm really concerned what this guy what's your first name laser if I'm not humble so I'm worried what Laser's thinking you know am I big in his eyes am I like smart am I special am I holy and my big stuff you know but you know I'm like comparing myself to him what if I've what if the fast has just knocked me out yeah what if I'm just knocked out by the fast I I don't care what you thinks of me I'm I'm barely surviving I'm already a I'm already something you know to scrape off the pavement you know I'm nothing I'm humble and when you're in that humble place you stop comparing yourself to others you stop you stop separating yourself from others this is also I mean in a very deep way why it says an Hashem in the word words in the P that says love your neighbor as yourself says love each other and who's the an in this case I am I am you are we're all we're all have Hashem in us an Hashem love your neighbor as yourself cu cu we're hashem's what's inside us and be in that humble place and the third level the third level is connect in back to Hashem which I don't think I need to go into but when you're humble hashem's with you Hashem when you're the big guy hasem says okay you want to be the big guy I'll I'll clear out I'll clear out so then we go into our Milla reading and and the mcgilla is full it's a story that is just full of coincidences the whole time you should follow the coin inces should follow meaning you're just following like things are looking you know things are going south for the Jews in a major way things are looking bad for the Jews and but you know deep down that things are going to be getting good for the Jews so it's like it's get going bad it's getting good a noose is set for Hammon H winds up on that noose okay the Jews are all going to get killed and it just just this whole idea of the turnabout the constant flipping of things right who's the villain in the story so it's supposed to be hum but who caused who caused a genocidal decree Mori Mor caused a genocidal decree the leader of the Jews wouldn't bow down all he had to do is go like that know like what do Jews do when what does netan do when he goes and meets Trump you know Shalom Mr President bow so like be diplomatic for heav sakes but Mori was a prophet just somehow knew like he didn't he didn't move he didn't move he didn't stand up and he didn't move and he didn't sweat he was just like cool as a cucumber I'm not moving in front of this crazy megalomaniac who's going to make a decree to wipe out every Jew but it's it's h who cause the juw to do Chua morai wasn't very good at getting juw to do Chua so he came up with a new way I know what if I just don't stand up for for h and he makes a decree against all the Jews the Jews of do chuba ham did more for the Jewish people throughout our history of getting us together and to unite as one and to do chuva before God than anybody no one's no one could touch Hond for the chba he's made us to and here we are right now now and whatever year this is uh 2025 uh 5775 where 57 85 where we're right back in that position and right now all the Jews in the world are just like poor us poor us everyone hates us poor us poor us poor us but you know if if they keep getting stronger and stronger the anti-Semitism eventually a Jew has to start asking himself what am I all about then if I'm like I wish the Jews in the world were who if you're one of these Jews watching this I wish the Jews in the world would say would say hey if they want to kill me I better be a damn good Jew you know like the bmov Kusa this big fat guy and he said why do you eat so much he said he said to the bmov he says when they killed my when the goam when the Gentiles killed my father he was so thin and so emaciated from starvation that when he they killed him he he burned up in like a second he just like he said he said when they come to get me you're going to see this fire for miles and miles it's going to burn a long time which is like a ridiculous thing to say but it's very deep in that like if they're going to kill you better be a damn good Jew man what a shame for getting killed for being a nothing Jew right right you you you should be the best damn Jew anyone ever met because if you get killed for being a Jew you better have been a damn good Jew what a shame get killed for being a Jun Andor like some like marginally Jewish Jew that's what's called Jewish you you want to be killed for being a Jew not for being Jewish right that's a good distinction all right what would you prefer if you got to be killed for being a Jew or for being Jewish I I would want my filling on my Talis and be in the middle of shma Israel and if you're already getting killed for being a Jew and um the the uh uh what I want to share with you guys is that um that the to have in mind during the Millum it's very simple just have in mind that what's being all the bad stuff's really set up for the good stuff the bad stuff set up for the good stuff that's all you know go through the story read it and pay attention but the bad stuff's setting up for the good stuff and what do you have in mind in this world the bad stuff's to set up for good stuff the bad stuff when's it when's going to be our holiest day our holiest day we're only going to have two holidays at the end of the days we're going to have purm and we're going to have Tish Tish is going to be a major joyous day why because then only then will we see why all the bad stuff had to be why all had to be and we see this in our lives you know we see this in our lives we everyone can see I don't know if you know you could see it but I think you could that you'll see that the Brokenness the pieces of the Brokenness of your life are what have built you into who you are today the pieces of the Brokenness of your life is what you've used to build who you are today anyone willing to trade it you willing to trade it you willing to Trade It willing to trade I'm SCH you're willing to trade no I have some times in my life that were very rough that I still haven't figured out exactly why what I got from it and I what still don't cuz I don't know yet I don't know yet you know that yeah and I'm specifically speaking about the time I went through when you I landed on your lap like literally in the throws of maybe the hardest time of my life and U and I just still have no idea why that is somehow good what I had to go through you um which okay just maybe I need more time there were people who said oh no I myself said that the um that that now when people come to me with anxiety issues I used to give them advice but it wasn't from a personal experience you when someone gives you advice but it wasn't a personal experience so something they learned online or YouTube or in a book so you receive it as best you can but when someone's been through it and made it to the other side and now they give you advice you get that advice like that that you know they got you when you know someone got you then you listen and so I think maybe I've helped a lot of I've helped people more with anxiety uh having been through this trauma I went through so I know the good part but would I trade it I don't know let's see what the future holds in other trauma cases that I'll be dealing with clearly people come to me with it so I we'll see how I'm able to help um the next thing is I want to mention the mat mat is to give to poor people to really destitute people now here's the thing about this I it's cool if you want to like send money to something that's going to give it on the day and like fulfill your Mitzvah with that you'll send it online or something or or you know you meet someone who's collecting for somebody that's great but make sure you say saved a little money for or at least your main or your main money to look at a destitute person in the eyes and see yourself the people who come to your door are you you're not like because cuz Hashem smiled on you and you managed to not be that guy you could have been you could could have been that guy and we're specifically commanded like we always have a mitz with sadu what's the difference now is that you have you have to look that guy in your in in the eyes and say I am you you are me you are me and the question is and I I Used to Know this answer what does that have to do with porum what does it have to do with porum that you're not higher than the guy who's become financially destitute so I'll share with you a few thoughts on that number one is the richest people are the poorest people like V the richest people are the poorest people you show me a mil you show me a a multi-millionaire I'll show you a poor man the how many people are willing to I mean is anyone in this room willing to do the kind of work it takes to become a multimillionaire you're willing to live with work on your brain full-time meaning you're willing to have all your mental real estate be completely dedicated like a like a Zona to money-making you willing to do that you willing to do that no one here it's a unique individual but what drives him so what drives him wealth no it's not wealth what drives him is the fear of poverty I mean he may want to be wealthy but is there is there anyone in this room doesn't want to be wealthy I think everyone in this room would love it I would love it I think I would be a great recipient for millions of dollars I think $1 million if it came my way that the world would automatically be an unbelievably better place I I can't think of a better place than me for $10 million now you might say do any of you think I'm going to go get it any of you think I'm going to go like dedicate the rest of my my you know year or next two years three years what do you think think I'll put my whole life to that what are you do with hell no I'm not going to do that I have so many plots of land in my mental real estate dedicated for so many other things no way I'm doing that I'm not going to become a lopsided one-way thinking you know one track mind money guy ignoring his wife and kids and and uh you know isolated in in his exclusive lifestyle no thank you what that's pretty extreme what is it you're presenting the most extreme case a lot of people are in that situation in one way or another some of them are extremely in it and some of them are less in it but they're all in it so what is why won't any of us all of us would love millions of dollars why won't any of us go get it because the positive motivation of getting it is not enough you have to have the negative motivation what's the negative motivation being poor what keeps me working like there's one thing I don't enjoy I happen to be great at it thank God but but I don't enjoy it is one-on ones one-on ones I do a lot of one on ones every week many people hire me for the hour and and I love being with people if you guys didn't come to this class it would be a lesser day for me you being here is my pleasure you understanding I love people and I love groups people I have a lot to give I I don't mind giving it to an individual but my I I live with people I like people I like to be around a lot of people if I have a choice to walk on a street with no people or a crowded Ben yahuda I'll take the crowded Ben yahuda and just love all the people that I walk by see so I'm I'm just a people person so why am I doing the one on once why do I do one on once one is I care that's the positive motivation what's the negative motivation I got to pay my bills you understand I got to pay my bills I don't want to be I don't want to be in minus negative motivation negative motivation I don't know what the number is but I think they said it's 65% uh or uh 65% or 85% of motiv maybe it's 85% of motivation I mean if you see someone running down the street I promise you it's not that he's trying to get somewhere he's trying to avoid what's going to happen if he doesn't get there it's all Su negative motivation negative motivation what motivates you a guy who can't make a proper accounting for what's going to go wrong you know if he whatever has a has an extramarital relationship you know like having an exal relationship would show me a man who who wouldn't enjoy that but the negative motivation of destroying his entire life he'll ruin his life it would literally self-destruct probably get fired family's gone that's for sure you understand it's the negative emotion evation that keeps him straight to look the poor guy in the eyes and say I'm I'm I'm good man I'm with I'm you you're me we're good I am that guy and every amount of money that God's given me every penny he's given me is a sedu Seda because I'm that guy and I'm not afraid of it not afraid of poverty I do want to pay my bills I don't want to live in debt fine that's okay that's kosher but to spend your whole life scared to death of poverty means you're a poor man you understand that's that's what's taking up your mental real estate is is you know making the money so I don't wind up on the streets what's the connection to porum together yeah definitely bringing us together get the unity I think that's probably I mean that's the obvious is that is that you're by you seeing that destitute person looking him in the eyes and saying you and I yeah um another thing to note uh the the language of our sages is k y anyone who sticks out their hand you give them it's it's brought down that whatever you pray for him for him will be given to you obviously that's a bit of a fib because you know can't just get whatever you want them for him just because you prayed for it I I want a rollsroyce so good luck you know but the but the the in theory if you want your prayers answered make sure you have a coin for everyone who sticks out their hand make sure you have a coin and and then just one more thing is a deep kavana and sadaka and handing that coin is that his hand is five and your hand is five his hand's five your hand five fingers and the coin is the yud so the coin is the yud and your five is his five is say yud and yud and then the he oh called poet y someone who sticks out their hands the V so it's it's YKK I think about your body think about your body your body is y y it's the coin right Y and hey and above and hey and when you dance with Jews it's like it's amazing it's like good and hey or no the you is your two hands together and hey hey your hand above and hey and good and and you're like yeah you're dancing around in a circle that's there's no holes I'm totally OCD about holes in a circle so like all it takes is some guy holding this kid you know I hate it when the guy does that and I've I've been known to like cross the circle and take the guy next to the guy holding the kid and put his hand on his arm or give him something to hold on to like close the circuit of our do k v k dance here because we're we're in a circle it doesn't have a beginning doesn't have an end it's Eternal it's forever a circle and and it's shameem so and there are people artists who have written God's name as a yud they put the yud right uh yud and then the hay comes off the yud like like a person's arms and coming down and then the V is the Torso coming down inside the hay and then the final ay is coming off the Torso it's the legs you understand so it actually is the person of it's adman It's the it is the shape of the man the UN the and V if you put him vertically is actually a person how do you like them apples cool so now um anyway the other thing is giving gifts um no no not to give um a plural it's plural so you have to give two food items to U your friend which friend I'll tell you the truth ideally ideally you should be giving it to someone you know issues with him you really and he doesn't know you have issues with him but but ideally you want to find someone that's like the person that's part of your sh or part of bem or or part of your community or your or a neighbor the one that's like you don't like that guy because [Music] it's love your neighbor as yourself but when's the real fulfillment of the Mitzvah not when it's easy the real fulfillment of Mitzvah is when it's hard so in a perfect world you give it to someone who uh who either you don't like or you suspect he doesn't like you which makes means you don't like him because you're going to like someone who doesn't like you you're not going to like someone who doesn't like you so so you ideally you would give these gifts now um by the way you got to give to CH you have to have this in mind when you give to the poor person plural you have to give to two people whereas Theos it's two food items to one person you can give as many as you want but you have to have in mind one person who who bothers you okay just another porm thing on Aus and uh and then the uh and then the the last thing is the Drunken Feast that the the drunken Feast is uh which is this year's three three days in Jerusalem um you you have to you know you're supposed to drink every day and there's there's different I have a whole halic discourse on why you drink each day including Saturday night there's a there's a who was it the mar I forget who it was exactly one of the great r said that because because this is crazy I would never believe anyone would say this but he said because the goam count from Midnight the new day so is really the H of of uh the the actual Bo so Saturday night's the Hem so you should be drinking Saturday night as well according to his opinion that's really do but what's that Thursday night Thursday night you're supposed to drink some you're supposed to drink all three days obviously at the PO at the sudas chabas you'll be drinking everyone drinks on chabas you're supposed to make Kos on wine you know Sunday's the big event Sunday's where you have the Mitzvah yeah it's four days Sunday you have the Mitzvah to be now my party starts uh my I do an open party every year although this year I think I'm doing here at basam so if it won't be here it'll be at my house but it's I do an open party it start my party starts around 10:30 at night Sunday night no no Sunday night meaning what happens is a lot of the parties throughout Jerusalem kind of end they fizzle out around 10:30 11 like a lot of the parties just kind of come to a close in the night your starts at 10:30 mine starts then it's all the people who refuse to bench you understand CU like you're going to be doing your your uh Alim and do Mar and stuff and the people are you know you're either too drunk to bench you're too drunk to Davin or what is oh sorry there's no that's funny but um but they're just you know they they weren't able to do Mar when Marv came so they and they didn't want to do Mar they wanted to keep partying so that'll be here I'm making some deals with some bands maybe um normally I lead it and I'm on guitar and everything but I'm thinking maybe this year maybe this year I'll I'll hire a band right you were at my P what I'm sorry guar yeah no I don't like guitar skills but wouldn't it be cool to have like a full on band and dance the whole time that would be pretty fun the should I just lead it because I would have a v I would bring over music equipment and stuff I'd have to bring it before porum what yeah it's interesting question yeah but why still say holla why this it is all but on only on chabas not at the not at the sud the drunken meal is Sunday and it's no longer Al you say days um because it's like because it's all part of porum and the rabbis various opinions have their days they say you drink and so the general rule is you drink more than usual whatever you would normally drink at a shabas meal drink a little more um okay Shalom everybody blessings