Hechaltzu chptr 16- Hate is cause for all bad character traits, Rabbi Groinom Lezevnik- RC Dalfin

So good today we're learning uh pic tess t test t test t test t test t test t test t test t test t test t test is it yeah 15 or 16 sorry 16 in and briefly we've learned till now the ugliness and devastation caused by jealousy and envy which leads to hatred and that was discussed at length in the previous chapter Now the Rashab is going to bring it back to the theme in this mimer which is the this mimemer is not about jealousy and it's not about other ugly attributes and character traits but it's focusing primarily on but in order to understand goes off to this tangent that tangent this point let's look inside and read together. The heameal get chapter 15. All of the pre previous mentioned issues. Yes. Shahim the gous of you find them in various forms in a some in a more coarse way and some in a more delicate way. each one based on its quality and its level in in regard to serving Hashem. Sometimes the issue could be so delicate. It's so delicate that you don't even realize that you have this issue. It's a very subtle issue. Says, "But guess what? It does exist in your soul. It's deep in the recesses of your soul." Although one thinks that this issue is not amongst the bad character traits that we mentioned in chapters 14 and 15b says but you should know that these delicate issues that seem very subtle. I like the word subtle better that that one has is part of those ugly coarse character traits. And this issue he says is worse than any one particular bad character trait. Why? Because one particular character trait is is um is an individual issue. Let's say anger. It's one area you have to refine. Fine. So in other words, if you look, if you look at the specifics, then each one is kind of independent of the other and you know what to identify. I have an issue with anger. Go for anger management courses, right? I have an I have certain, you know, infatuations. Go to such a therapist. But there's an issue that's kind of the father figure of all of these things. That's what the Reb is getting at. Let's back into the text. And the individual character issues are not similar to the overall issue which is um it is not as powerful. A spec, you hear that? He's saying that a specific character flaw is not as powerful as a general character flaw. He says like this, if you have a certain character issue, a specific one, it doesn't mean you're going to fall into another one. In other words, if you have an anger problem, it doesn't mean you're going to become a balgy with conceit and boast. It's two separate issues. And vice versa. If you have a problem with gya, with yeses, ego, conceit, hoardiness, it doesn't mean that you have an issue with anger. This is not true regarding baseless hatred. It is a generality. It's an encompassing which incorporates embodies the sitra as a whole. In other words, if you if you want to see the in its full gar look at when you look at anger and you look at ga and you look at tya ail or other tas it's one particular area you don't see the full face of the you want to see the full face of the that says here in the mimer that is when you confront or you have and he says further because he repeats what he said many times in the characterized by division and separation argues and positions this is the source mocker and the cause. Now this is a very interesting statement and needs I think thought. Can we prove hil that sin is the cause root of anger is the cause root of ego is the cause root of of of ta is can we what is the logic there because you don't like someone's nose because you have this s to someone therefore it ultimately leads to anger It ultimately leads to that's what he says here. And he's saying that he's saying that could be deep it could be so disguised that it's so subtle but there's a sin inside deep in the heart which expresses itself through the various different particular character flaws I'm just reading what it says. Interesting. I can't read shame. Hashem canal. Yes. is the antithesis of the name as we'll explain later. So we'll leave it for later. But remember the mimemer begins with the right take revenge of the and it uses the name. So in the beginning of the mimer that focused on why not elohim take revenge FROM ELIM TAKE REVENGE FROM KALE. It doesn't say that nikmas hashem which is the rash pointed out at that time briefly and he says he'll explain further more elaborately looks like that the particular issue of directly opposes and touches [snorts] and creates the being right what's the difference between the shame and shame in in in one word. The difference is between the creative force or the manifested force in in in terminologies that we've learned in other places the particulars or the generality creates makes it possible before you before you before you can deal with particulars you need to have the creation the subject MATTER THE ABILITY THE FACT THAT IT EXISTS. That's opposes the antithesis to kovki. It goes against which means it seeks to obliterate the existence of man, healthy man, the wholesome man. And it and it seeks to wipe away that Hashem created a human being on earth for a positive purpose. That's cuz right what's means hate and not just hate baseless. So when you think about that there's no rhyme rhyme and logic rhyme or reason. It's it's illogical. What are you hating for? Because he doesn't have your color hair because he doesn't have your pocketbook. What what are you out of your mind? And and and you know the famous Gmorrah whatever over there and he said I think it was Mid right he says it was ugly very ugly facial features disgusting. The other like says like I can't look at you. He turns around and he says GO TO MY MASTER THE CRAFTSMAN GOD who made me. What do YOU WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME? I WAS BORN I CAME OUT THIS WAY. It's very powerful very powerful piece of Gmorrah. It ties into this whole topic of bullying, which unfortunately came to the table the last two weeks with the suicide of that young laba boy. Bullying. What What are you bullying for? What are you bullying for? You don't like the way he looks. He's fat. He's skinny. She's fat. She's skinny. She's talkative. She's loud. She's a nooge. They must make Yeah, we have to work on refining ourselves. But at the end of the day, one person has a nature to talk more. Another person has a nature to talk less. Another person, you know, is able to control their weight easier. Another person isn't. There's no room for this this concept of bullying. And I was telling yesterday someone is much younger than I, but we we dialogue. Well, Bab, successful person, a very fine person. You know how when this issue came to the table in the last two weeks, it just reminded me and and look, it's I'm almost 65 how I [clears throat] was bullied in first grade. I remember now I'm I'm I'M I'M [laughter] AN ADULT. I HAVE GRANDCHILDREN. And it's it's it's in there and it doesn't go away. And I know who it is. I know what he said and it caused me to leave the yeshiva to go to another yeshiva which was the best the best thing that I did. I went to the lab instead of which were you know so in hindsight that was the the [laughter] kick in the BUTT EXCUSE THE EXPRESSION THAT I GOT TO GET OUT OF THIS SHIVA and go to the other Shiva and and and make a life you know but but at the time it's like you know and and I I want to say since we're on topic just for a second you know okay so now I'm going to go and take him to court I'm going to go go and humiliate him in And no, this is where you have to you have to have Yeah, you have to be mature. A wrong was done and and and and you go on and I'm not say I'm not [clears throat] saying this for everything. I want to make it clear. I'm not saying this if someone's abused and and they could if they're brought you know to the authorities support that. I'm again I don't know enough about the topic but I'm just saying that the Rash is talking about Helm Hel something that ever since I learned it in my in my younger years in when I started to learn it's something that kind of you know is dwelling and and always and and this is really what a is like to refine yourself where you work out those deep issues. It's it's mamish, you know, IT'S MAMISH THERAPY. THAT [laughter] THAT'S WHAT IT IS, you know, getting into your your gut and somehow working it out. And if you don't work it out, it's a big problem. It's a big problem. Now, working it out doesn't mean always getting rid of it. Like I say, I still feel the bully deep inside. But but Hashem, I've done so much in my life that's overshadowed it and and life goes on, you know, but you have to you have to know the score. If you don't know the score, it's a it's a problem. And the same and and because then you understand when you get angry, why you're getting angry, when you have ga why you have ga on and on. Now the is saying here in the that the cause for all this is now you understand what what what I'm having a difficult accepting and it is to to to say I have sidum therefore I when I'm angry it's because of my sin ASUM I DON'T HAVE sidum I really don't even people that have done terrible things against me I forgive HIM AND I GO on doesn't mean I'm I'm I'm hugging [clears throat] and kissing them and looking for their advice. But every night, right? So what what I'm saying is but but the is saying that if you have a bad mid somehow it stems from some kind of so this needs to be for me at least I need to still clarify it. If anyone has any thoughts, I would love to hear, you know, how is it that is is is is the root. He says the root and the cause for the particular blemish, the particular character flu. That's what he says here. Let's continue. And and he quotes the inubus the gum there. I'll read quickly the note here just uh because it makes it clear as beffits for him. What does it mean you have to serve as it befitits for him? This is used as a translation of the wording of the mime that resembles what the gum says. The meaning of the phrase from the story later in the story in the source zakai chanced upon the daughter of Nadim Bengurion who was living in a state of object poverty. was amazed because her father had been renowned as his wealth. He was very wealthy. The Talmud explains that she was reduced to the state to the to to this state because her father did not donate to charity. The Talmud then questions the statement because it is known that demon gave charity profusely. In resolution it explains that he did not give me as befitting his vast wealth. Similarly, each person is required to employ the potentials he has been granted in proportion to the extent he has been endowed with them. So that expression is from the andidus brings it a lot. In other words, are you really doing as MUCH AS HASHEM HAS GIVEN YOU, blessed you with? Yeah, you're doing a little bit fine, but really you give to charity, did not you gave charity, you gave Saddaka, BUT NADIM, YOU'RE SO WEALTHY. There's someone here in in Brooklyn, a friend of my father's, a good friend for many, many years, and he's a very very wealthy man. My father once said to him, you know, you have millions of dollars, hundreds of millions. He turned to my father and he says, no, no, no, no. I'm already a billionaire. [laughter] Okay? And my father said to him, I know you give saddaka and you give a lot of saddaka. I want you to prove to me you give 10% of the billion dollars. YOU'RE GIVING SADDAKA, A LOT OF SADDAKA CUZ blessed you. But are you giving a micer? LET LET'S LET'S BE HONEST. LET'S DO A CALCULATION. [laughter] My father's from Romania. He's a European Jew. He never landed in America. He still talks the way he's speaking. You're a show me. YOU DON'T SHOW ME. YOU'RE A BLUFFER. YOUR WHOLE SADDAKA IS A BIG BLUFF. AND IF I HAD THAT MONEY, I would I would give so much more. So this is the concept of the heaven. Let's go further and working on these issues to refine those natural tendencies to become better. This is from the Gomorrah in in by the way the Gomorrah when you search WITH THE CANDLE LAUR THE garra says has to be checking in the nooks and crannies and the garra says searching after searching so the rashab says this issue that we're discussing here will not come just from yeah I'm doing truth This needs psychotherapy therapy. This needs a this needs and it's uncomfortable. And when you but but that's what it requires. It It's not something that's obvious on the outside. It's says further in the text. He says the the candle of of God is is is is of man is the soul of man giving you the ability because you we have the to search in the nooks and crannies to find to find every individual iota of no good. They truly prevent you from true service and doesn't allow you to ultimately refine your character properly. And when you find the character flaw to obliterate it, to get rid of it, to burn it completely from your soul, then you will go on a straight sure path. When you humility, you refine your character and then your [clears throat] will be the proper way. Kiss her. cloud or you see look how he says in the kitchen in the in the synopsis being that it is the um the underlying source of all all bad midos all negative character traits it requires a much searching and complete eradication utterly destroyed and we have the ability because of the so this you would think is a chapter in aidis that's very muser like so first of all like I've said many times early learned muser too the only thing is that [laughter] puts the emphasis on but not that you shouldn't learn mus. That's number one. Number two, if you if you if you really pay attention, he's coming about it here not from a moral ethical point like hey, you want to be a good boy, clean up your act. It's not what he's talking about. He's not talking about, you know, the cleanliness, orderliness. That's the approach based on the Muser approach. Feed your animals before yourself. Don't be a BGA. Right? [snorts] I had this uh Hebrew grammar teacher in high school, Rebel Zevnik was his name. There's someone in in in Kesh Moshe who used to um study his some some of his teachings and he shared it with me when I was there. I forget the person now but because of that person I wrote about Rabnik who was my teacher in high school at laba here. So when I came back um to America at one time I said I have to look at the I think it was the Brown must have been 2018 when when this person in your community reminded me about him. I forgot about him. And then I said to myself he's still alive. Lo and behold he was alive. He was over a hundred years old. And one Sunday I was driving, you know, in the morning, no traffic here in Flatbush and and Bashem. Hashem was and I said, "Wait a minute, I got to go see Rabnik." So I just drove instead of driving home, I drove to East 9th and Avenue N off Colony Island Avenue, parked my car unannounced, went up and he had the shoel first floor and he lived upstairs and he's there with with an aid and it's him. I recognized him. I asked him if he recognizes me. Uh he said he didn't recognize me. I told him my name. He remembered something of the name. I think it was 102 at the time, I think. So I said to him, Rabnik, and he told me interesting things, not for now, for another time, but he told me his relationship with the Reb. He started he was he was hired in 1946 when the the Shiva open at Bedford Styverson which is between Kits and Williamsburg. He was hired as a Hebrew teacher by the Reb's brother Rashad. So you know and he survived the war. He was a survivor and he was an avariker. Now Nardik is heavy heavy Muser. You know that right? and he you know short little man he had this like goatee he just had all the elements of a navariker and I say to him after listening you know with his aid in the house I say to do me would you do me a favor I want to take you in my car and just drive over 20 minutes take us 20 minutes 15 20 minutes no traffic to 770. I promise you, as soon as you'll walk in, there'll be hundreds of people my age, a little younger, a little older, that will swarm around you cuz they can't believe you're I didn't tell them this. They can't believe you're alive and you were their teacher and you were an excellent teacher. It's like a PIECE OF HISTORY IN THE MAKING. and you're nar [laughter] and you talking to yeshiva and he looked up at me and and then I saw that the cup arbit his head is working you know he was he was weak in his chair but the cup of garbet the cup worked he said to me n I'm I'm I'm repeating the way it sounded n thus is ga that's ga And that was the classic [clears throat] navaric answer. Kabad wouldn't answer it that way. A real litak wouldn't answer that way. They have different answers. But the way he said it with those few words is it just took me back into the varic 1910. Like you're going to bring me so people will center around me. That's so I end with that story just to say that there is a naric way of dealing with these issues which is holy and and and beautiful and then there's aid way and then there's a kabad way within the rashab here I think if you think about it and it needs more thought as I said earlier um how how can we prove kind of that sinum is the core and the cause for midas ro anger ga kya whatever but regardless the way he puts it together isidus and and and and and that we we we should never you know the world we live in is one that on one hand it's like everyone's holding hands or there's more more of that which is wonderful and important but at At the same time [clears throat] isididus mus is muser. It it's two different approaches and to whitewash whatus is it in my humble opinion is wrong. This is a certain style which is a different style than mus and there's nothing wrong and and if you want to be a muser you want to follow that approach. don't follow the approach of but to all hold hands and say we're all buddies. WE'RE ALL TOGETHER. YEAH, OF COURSE WE'RE ALL TOGETHER in in in in practice but in in shita of understanding and the and this there are different approaches and it's a very important thing because as you when you raise your children I mean we're you know older I mean still has some kids children to raise I mean but you know what I'm saying the grandchildren these things make a difference how here in borrow park Right. What if my girls hear from the neighbors? Oh, they're a They're a They're not a They don't keep shabas. They're not a But that's the common language. That's the common and it's so erroneous and they don't even they don't even really mean it. But that it's like become a they're a What do you mean? They're a They're not a They're a yeid. They're having the shama, right? So, so are you mak your kids are do you educate your kids and grandkids in such a way or do you say look you know they're not keeping shabas yet? You bring them in, be mad at them, let them come see a shabas, let them fab, let them have a good time, let them feel good. That's another style. And some will say no, there's no room for that. There's it's like, you know, they always said that the would say what the labb could do, we can't do. We could do other things, but for that you have to go to labavich. You know, Rabbi Riskin, Rabbi Riskin was a little today of Afrat, but he was at the Lincoln Center, you know, Lincoln Square for many years, Lincoln Square. He sent some people that are today, you know, already grandfathers to Kabad. I know some of them. And he said, "For what you need, I and my don't address." We at that time talking about 1967s you know we you you need kabad for that you know so it's important to know that uh differences doesn't mean bad difference means difference we'll see everyone tomorrow those THAT ARE FLYING OR COMING AND going be safe if you're around give me a buzz and if we can get together would be wonderful have a great day everyone shalom >> thank you very much gazun and everything. Bye-bye. Take care.