Kuntres Acharon #1d- Are you a thriving Baal Yeshiva? Yichudim: Really?- Rabbi Chaim Dalfin

So we're learning contra which is the fifth section of the Tanya known as the later pamphlet. And what this refers to is comments that the author made on his own writing that he felt needed clarity because at first glance they seemed to contradict some of the things that he said. This is the content of the first six essays in this fifth section of Tanya. Okay. Now I see Avis here. Welcome back. And we are using the lessons in Tanya. If you have that book would be best um because I am reading some of the notes from there due to the uh complex complicity of this um of this uh of this part of Tanya. Today we're going to learn about a very important thing and it's relevant to mitzvah. In the morning Moshe before we do the prayer called Omar which is towards the beginning of the morning service when we rise it's the first time we're obligated to rise in the morning service we take our front two tits from our talit or our undergarment the titis and we say that prayer. Before we say that prayer which is called again Omar blessed is the one who said referring to God who made the heavens and the earth and everything else. We say a very interesting twoline statement which begins with the words for the purpose of unity of God and his divine presence presence. I mentioned yesterday in we say it only once a day. Many others say it before each mitzvah. So for example, we're we're counting the Omr 49 days from the second night of Passover Pes till shis 49 days. We're counting down to the giving of Torah. Right? So this is called the counting of the Omr. If you go into a traditional shoo, not a kabat shul, I would say more of a aidic sh, you'll hear them say before they make the blessing. They say and you can hear them screaming out for the sake of unity. What are they talking about? What are they doing? Why is that necessary? Because the the way they believe and they follow is that before you do a mitzvah that's an a a mitzvah of a mitzvah nature you you are to say this idea of the unification caused by the mitzvah. So this opens an entire arena of discussion. what happens when we do a mitzvah and this is part of today's discussion in Tanya. So first let me give you the oral orally and let me explain it to you. It's very important not just for today but for our life as we endeavor to continue growing and learning. When you do a mitzvah, mitzvah means connection. Literally means a commandment. Brings source material to to to support the idea that not only is a commandment given to us by a commander, but the act itself is a bond. There's a connection. Right? In other words, like this a you could say you do a mitzvah, you're listening to Hashem, you listen to your parents, you listen to your wife, you listen, right? But not that not that that itself is a bond. I'm following instructions. Says it's a lot deeper. By following the instructions, you're binding yourself to the commander here. That's a that's a very deep and new idea that brought to the Jewish understanding of a doing of a mitzvah until the bento the understanding was you do a mitzvah said so comes along the bento and introduces the idea that a mitzvah is a bond a connection that by the very fact that you do the mitzvah you're connected to God you're bound to God. That's very different. It's much deeper. It has so much so so much more ramifications. Now, this bond that we create when we do a mitzvah, where is this bond? Okay, so we say, well, the bond is here on earth. Well, do I see it? Do I smell it? Do I feel it? Not necessarily. So the cabala Jewish mystical writing says that you should know that when you do a mitzvah you create what's called a unification in Hebrew a yehood or the plural isim unifications. What are you unifying? When you say unification you mean two things that were disperate and you bring them together. What are you unifying? You're unifying in a sense polar opposites. You're unifying two ideas that don't necessarily go together and you through your mitzvah bring them together. What is the general idea? The general idea of the unification. It's the unification of what's called and is the holy God, the holy blessed God is the God's divine presence which is God's manifestation through the sphere of malus of kingship which for our purposes now it means it's the unification of God and us and God and us without unification are very distant. Yes, God made us right bossha God made us in his image very nice that God made us but then we go off in our own ways. So bor when when when even though Hashem made us but we're in in left field there's no unification there. When you do a mitzvah, you bring yourself malus back to the creator, back to and this is phenomenal. When you eat an apple and before you put the apple in your mouth, you say tomahes, blessed is God who creates the trees of the earth. Right? That's a yehood. Those that know the cabalistic intentions, think of the different names of God associated with trees, whatever it says in Cabala. In other words, different mitzvah have different aspects of the unification. I told you more than once that I went to a friend of mine who be became a breast of aid and and he made kesh and it took him five minutes to make kdesh, 10 minutes, whatever. quite a long time and you know you know I went to yeshiva he didn't and he's standing there and making a 10-minute kdish and I and and I went to yeshiva it doesn't take you 10 minutes to make kdish so I asked him what are you doing after you've made kdesh he said to me I'm thinking when I say the kdish the words and the and the and the and the ye of what names of god are are being put together visa v the kders that he was taught in in in breast or in kabala whatever the case now that's not the ordinary way that most people make kdish but the fact is that that's what's taking place and if one is able to do that call you know with all due respect we in kabad do this unification in the morning and the unification the morning moa is for the entire entire day. That's why before we begin chakras we say and when it comes to we make the we don't say and probably they do say and is not to say specifically not to say what's wrong with we did it already there are many every time you do them a mitzvah So what this this entire para this entire field is about creating unity in heaven between God and ourselves. So when as soon as you say creating bak when you say you say creating unity that implies there's disunityity there's a problem and that's why we need the to to make the correction. So what's the problem? Who's fighting here? Who's fighting? The answer is that and on their own are going in two different directions. Brio is going up and is going down. Imagine walking the street. You start walking up and you don't look down. The next thing is you fall on the floor. You trip. You hurt yourself. What if you look down obby the whole time and you don't look up? You're like an animal. An animal looks down the whole time. There needs to be a balance. The balance is the so here again as I said yesterday in this year is an example howidis takes an idea that's brought in kabala. In cababala you wouldn't you wouldn't hear and read what I just said for you in the last 10 minutes cuz that's not the system of kabala. It just tells you this is the this is it and go on opens it up and elaborates. It gives you mash. One second. Mash. Yes. Mash. No. Mash. I noticed that um Yeah. Can you hear me? Yes. Rabbi Rab. Oh, okay. I noticed that there are a few very very few times during the year in the sitter that we have something along these lines. It's like talking about I noticed that that before kish of of the yim there's a slightly different what we say that has to do that that incorporates these these um it doesn't say that's right but like what we say before right there's certain right Yes. Yes. But it doesn't that's not Yeah. That that that that is a statement that this particular kdesh on this particular holiday is connecting to holy apples. It's it's concepts in so the wording changes. That's what you're referring to. I I also noticed it over the years. But but this is not about that's about the content that's about the content of the Yamto as expressed through the prayer. So take for take for example Shabas every shabas what we say shall at the third meal is very different than what we say Friday night and Shabas morning. Why? Because there's a different energy happening. So if you say if you were to say the same uh you know the same ex the same explanation of what Shabas is about cababalistically Friday night for Shabas afternoon for Mina. You're not getting in. You got the wrong door. Sorry. That was last night. You got to knock on the right door to get in. That's what we're saying, right? That's what we're saying during these That's what these changes. But here we're talking about the yehood. A yehood is is a different concept. The of and mus which is the divine presence and now the alterbi here in answers a question. He asks a question on himself on what he said in chapter 40 of Tanya that seems to imply that think thought when you when you only think Torah but you don't speak Torah nothing takes place and then he so he brings a source from Cabala where which says something does take place so the alterba answers he reconciles it and he says that something definitely takes place but the difference is whether it's coming from below to above or above to below or in Hebrew ai it's whether it's you're talking about the ham means to draw down it's coming down flow is coming down versus which means it's being elevated and this barak is a very important point and it answers a lot of things that Why? When we dive in and we pray and we learn and sometimes there's no answer. At least we think there's no answer. There's always an answer, but there's, you know, and the answer could be that your prayers only went up. They didn't cause a reciprocal effect of the flow coming down. And if the prayers only go up, Mashem, you did a great thing. But you're not yet getting the flow. The flow to come down is a different department. So we have two things. And the alterb says that's the difference between speaking words of Torah as you learn to articulate the words with your mouth versus thinking Torah. thinking Torah only raises the raises the self to Hashem which is a great thing but it doesn't cause the reciprocal flow to come down whereas when you speak words of Torah you cause it to actually come down and this is a fantastic fantastic insight I want to learn now inside look look at the page and lessons in Tanya, those that have it. Um, the zo this is page 267 if you have the book in the in the note large note the last paragraph. The zy only means that thought has no effect in drawing down illumination from above. It is true that it is not an arousal from below that elicits an arousal from above. However, thought does have a vital effect above one's thought and intention are indispensable in elevating one's Torah study and performance of the commandments and affecting a consequental union unions. Now, inside the text, What thought does not accomplish is that there should be a an arousal from our God from above on on its own. That it should be drawn down from above from God here below. The thought that rises above it simply remains there greatly increasing the illumination there adding light and energy in the world of through the Torah and through action. Look at these words. the primary where does take place not here below it's above. So when we talk about making a you hear this says here underline it in your primary unions take place above only the fruits reach this world through the drawing down of a little uh a little bit of the light through speech and action. Comparatively speaking to thinking alone without speaking nothing is called forth the the increased illumination that we cause through thinking Torah remains inus. So it's like on one hand you say look hey I own stock in aos what better thing could it be I own stock inos thank you very much if you don't cash in on the stock inos there might be a day it's worth very little or even if it stays the same you know I knew someone his father bought a lot of stock in the 1930s and 40s he passed on he didn't benefit from it so his son inherited it then fine but I'm saying having having uh having this holiness in so very good you could put it on your pedigree you know I am I'm a fivestar journal of sorry I'm a five-star general in owning stock in very good and we say what do I have from it says I'm not going to tell you that creating unity and ailus and having you know that is is is worthless but the illumination stays there. If you want the illumination to come down here into your life you need to articulate the words of Torah. Look what says therefore one does not fulfill their obligation in terms if he just thinks Torah. When we say there's a mitzvah, there's a mitzvah of learning Torah every day, we mean like I'm doing now with my mouth, not for me to read the just that don't do it for which a person's came below only to draw down spiritual Malaysians in the lower world. As it says inabah, right? Conversely, now he goes back to the elevation from below to above the elevation from above to below. Here you need to have what we call good thought. the positive intent that comes along that stems from love and fear of God. Without love and fear, your divine service of mitzvah doesn't fly upward. It doesn't soar and high. It says over there that the good thought in that is that which raises. So this is what the alterba says that and this bar answers I think one of your questions that you wrote to me about and I'm thankful and continue writing your questions that there's no contradiction. We need both things here. It's like it's like asking saying this Ari it's like saying like this you know I just want to be someone who does mitzvah and mitzvah and mitzvah but Torah study it's not my cup of tea I'll do the minimal that's not adequate and to say someone saying this the same thing someone says just Torah Torah Torah and forget about mitzvah they do mitzvah but they don't they're not immersed in the mitzvah is also not adequate. So too over here says although for the flow of of of God's energy that was created by the the unification requires that it that one articulate their Torah study with their mouth. But that could be very verbatim and very dry and boring. Just repeat what Rabbi Dolphin says. Repeat what Rabbi Shapiro says. Repeat what Rabbi Kaplan says. Okay, you're a parakeet and you're able to par to repeat very nicely. But if someone were to ask you, do you really understand? And wait a minute. Not just do you really understand? Do you feel? No, I don't feel anything. And again, I always go back to the first conversation I had with you, Moshe. You know, when I came to Bash, you know how people are stale. the feeling. This is an avoid called a and it's a daily avoid. It's like you eat three times a day and imagine a day we don't eat. We're hungry and we're like we're all out of whack. Lacking lacking intent and working on intent of your Torah and mitzvah is a daily thing. You can't rely on what yesterday you were inspired. Yesterday you were sh and you ded and you shed a tear and you have and you felt close to God. What happens the next day? I'm back to the square one. I want to sleep. I want to just get get finished already in this minion. I already wait. It's too long. Right. What happened? You were all turned on and inspired yesterday. That's the way it works. The body, the animal soul, the animal drive, the lust, the desires, they're so they're so one with us that that takes over. So you have to again reinvest and meditate and reflect and daven and say I'm not an animal. I'm not an animal. I'm not an animal. I'm a human. I have a god. I have something higher. I am higher. Right? And you turn yourself on to this that that's the that's the love and fear. The love and all. So the alterba says both are necessary. You can't you can't just say, "Well, I I I I I I'm articulating the words of Torah as what I learn, so the flow is coming down." The flow could come down, but you're a stone. What will it help if the flow comes down to a stone? You're dry. You're boring. You're not excited. Right? We need the flow to come down to an excitable person to a motivated individual to someone that has a drive and a passion in life and in Torah and in mitzvah and helping you know they're on the go. Just I want to say you know Rabbi Lipkar a blessed memory just passed away the rabbi of the shul on columns of 95th in Miami who I knew personally and I made a tribute for him. I hope you saw it. It's online right this man I knew him. He was he was so passionate. So passionate. If you ever heard him speak, whether it be in shul or other times, he's full of passion. And trust me, he could have been coasting. Okay? He could have been coasting. The type of balab he had and the setup that he had and he made, believe me, he made it all happen with God's help. But he could have taken a good long vacation and he would have he would have gotten his paycheck and he would gotten his position and life would have gone on. But no, every day you wake up with what more can I do? That drive, that passion and that's a that's a okay in the sense of God. In other words, someone you d well one day, the next morning you don't say, "Hey, I ded well yesterday and therefore today I can take it take sit back on my loins." No, you have to feel like you didn't din at all. It's the first time you're dabbing. Pick picture picture picture to yourself the first time you found out about Torah mitzvah hashemidis reb yiddishkite and you say wow hey who am I where was I till now and you get excited that's what you have to live with every day I don't care if it's 50 years later 40 years later and and when you don't that's when the flow the flow is coming to a stone even if there's a flow many times no flow But even if there is a flow, it's limited. It's it's it's it's, you know, it's boring. It's unexited and and and it's just you lose your your your your oomph. So that's what the Alb is saying over here. Going to stop here. Any questions or comments from anybody? I'd like to give you a minute or two to Yes. Yi. Yo. Yes. Yi. Today is your father's yard site, right? Tonight. Today. Uhhuh. Okay. So then tomorrow Okay. So tomorrow we should say I mean to mention his name for this year. Sure. Uh any what you just Yes. Go ahead. Yeah. What you just said what you just said about the first time that you know the first time you're more enthusiastic and and you know it lit a fuse even if 20 years ago 50. I think this is where the vulers have a have a huge leg up on the FFB people. Yes. As an FFB person, you don't have that. Yes. Y right. But you can't even think like that. Yeah. Yoni. But but the problem is that when the bushes become FFP, he loses that, you know. Hey, right that so so believe me I I thought about when I said that we have so many Bali chuva an entire generation 60s7s 80s now it's 2025 are they still on fire that's a good question I don't I I I don't want to say the answer but and that's what and that's what we're going through now that's what our front community with the way I see it I don't know how you guys see it but the way I see it, this is a serious issue where even Bali Chuva are are are, you know, I've seen it. A lot of them are taking a hiatus. Some of them are dropping out. Some that are not dropping out are just, you know, and are covering up and doing things that, you know, there's serious issues happening now. And it's all because they're not on fire. They've lost that fire. But I do agree I do agree with you that and the Gmorrah says it the place of Balichu Baluva are sadik and gamurum can't stand there can't be there right that's exactly what you're referring to but but I don't know I I wouldn't today I think that the the message has to be the one that I shared meaning in other words yes you are about today are you a balchuva or today you already heyva I have an entire community that's balua but it's 30 40 years later no one looks at themselves as a balua now it's you know so that that's that's that's a sensitive issue but it's a very important one anyone else want to comment on that anything avi heard your voice in a long time a say something no okay peace okay see everyone tomorrow take care good learning bye-bye thanks Thank you. Byebye.