Maamar Lo Tiye Mishakela 1952 #6- Mitzva details are part of G-d's objective - RC Dalfin

So, we're learning the mimer that the Reba said in 1952. And today we're at chapter 4, which if you have the lessons in my Morim, it's on page 128. And here the Rebel will give us the the punchline as he sees the importance of avoid hashem of serving God and how it does make a difference to God whether you serve him or you don't. So let's let's go right into it and I will be reading uh the notes over here in the English and and elaborate a little bit on them. Okay. Veshar means in resolution it can be explained. This is the explanation to what the sages say. Quote, "Does it really make a difference to God whether you slaughter the animal from the neck or from the nape and the mid the midrush implies it doesn't." So the Reb says that the meaning of this is This reference which implies that it doesn't make a difference refers to the particular details of the of the service the particulars that doesn't make a difference. Let's first read and then we'll talk. But in contrast, the the the the result of the which is fabri that through it somehow it creates what we call the refinement of creatures that is significant to God. The note those that have the safer, please follow along. The particular deeds that a person performs in his divine service are not significant in and of themselves. The ultimate intent and effect of man's service, the refinement of the material world is however significant to him as explained below. So, in other words, I I want to make sure you understand this because this can be taken the wrong way and you'll have the internet full of criticism. Of course, it's it it's important for God that that the be from the neck and not the nape. And the proof is that otherw if you if you slaughter the animal from the nape, it's tra it's not kosher. So, what is it what what is the saying here? I mean the medra says it that it's not important. It's not important if you look at it just as a detail. But if you see like the words it says here, I like the words. They're not ins they're not they're not significant in of in and of themselves, but if you see it as the whole package, they're very significant. So in other words, when we are told to from the neck and not from the nape, that shita somehow is relevant to the overall idea of making a home for Hashem on earth. I can't tell you exactly how. I'm not a um you know I I don't know how but for example let's let's for a moment say that if you were to slaughter an animal from the nape it would cause more pain for the animal versus slaughtering slaughtering the animal from the neck. That means that the reason why Hashem wants the animal to be slaughtered from the neck and not the nape is because Hashem wants you to not have cruelty to animals and surely to say cruelty to human beings. So because the divine purpose of having a world that's that's that's normal and settled and kind and there isn't cruelty. Hence he institutes in the Tory certain mitzvah which are demonstrative of being kind and not cruel. And one of them is slaughtering the animal from the neck and not the nape. Again I I'm making it clear I'm not a I don't know the word in English. Um I I'm I'm not someone that's that's knowledgeable in the field of animals and slaughtering and things like that. But that's the that's the attitude that you have to look at every mitzvah. We call this the med calls it in Hebrews to refine man. Somehow through the particulates you refine man. And that's what God wants. So when people say, "Look, I'm not religious. I don't see why I need to keep shabas and and eat kosher and things like that to be a good Jew. The bottom LINE IS TO BE A GOOD JEW. I'm a good Jew. I don't hurt people. I get I help people, right?" What is the response to that? Because it seems like it's a very good argument. The response is THAT IF YOU WERE TO know how the mitzvah that God gives Jews and also the forim the other mitzvah, if you were to know how these details somehow improve your life, then you would gravitate to them. The only reason why you're not gravitating to them IS BECAUSE YOU SAY, "HEY, WHAT ARE THESE BLACK BOXES? FILLAIN. Putting fillin on my hand and my head seems antiquated. Like the answer is YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT FILLAIN. YOU REALLY DON'T HAVEN'T STUDIED. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT the details are. You don't know the purpose. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT SAYS. And once you study and you figure and you learn about it, then you will see how filling specifically adds to you BEING A BETTER JEW AND A BETTER HUMAN BEING. because that's what God wants and and and that is I believe I don't the main answer but one of the answers as a response to why is Torah mitzvah relevant to humanity and that's what the Reb is saying over here the the mi the details of the mitzvah on their own are insignificant does God really care shabas whether you carry three feet three cubits or four AFTER FOUR IT'S A VIOLATION BEFORE FOUR IT'S NOT SO THE RABBIS CAME UP WITH THAT right okay but in log it I mean come on or let's say I'm just giving you details shabas when you make a cup of coffee you're not supposed to pour the coffee into the cup directly from the urn because that's considered cooking, right? So what what does haka say? Jewish law say you use what's called a clay sheni a second vessel. You put the water into one vessel and then to another vessel and then you can pour the coffee into it. Now to me logically feel the cup. It's hot. It's boiling. So if it's cooking in the se first cup, why isn't it cooking in the second cup? And by the way, there are some authorities that say that. They argue that. But we don't rule that way. Right? The answer is the answer is a I'm not knowledgeable in heat and in the in in in the mechanism and in the study of that field but somehow by pouring it from one cup to the other there's a diminishing of a little temperature and that qualifies for not cooking. Now ask yourself a question. Even if that's the case, which it is that that's the case, does God really get excited about this? Does Hashem really care? I mean, this seems to be so trivial. What's the answer? Wake up if you're sleeping. What's the answer? The answer is that somehow this makes us better people. This makes us better more connected to God Almighty. I can't tell you how, but what I could tell you is that these significant details add excuse me express the divine objective which is as the medra says to refine humanity. Now our issue is our problem is we don't see how well the first thing you need to do is acknowledge you don't know. I I acknowledge I don't know I don't I don't know that I don't know you know I'm not trained in that field but when you study a field and you get into it you will see that the tra the mitzvah accomplishes refinement of humanity of character that's what the Reb says in this note let's continue in the Hebrew even amongst of regular created beings. Lowly entities, lowly entities there becomes a refinement, a refinement and that refinement transforms the yesesh the ego to I am nothingness. I'm reading the note states God created materiality and the people of of Israel the Jews make spirituality out of materiality to explain Hashem created the world because he desired a dwelling in the lower realms. That is he desired God desired his presence to be manifest in this physical world. To accomplish this two steps are necessary. The material world must be created and number two then its corporeality must be transformed into spirituality. The first step was accomplished by God but the second he entrusted to his partner the Jewish people. The partnership is an equal one for God brings the world into being something from nothing. and the divine service of of Jews transforming the the the ego, the yesesh, the self-centered perspective that pervades our material world into into nothingness. I in godliness is just both tasks transcend the natural order and they are and they are only possible because of God's essential power and he implanted this essential power within his people to enable them to accomplish their mission. says the IDEA OF US TRANSFORMING THE THE physical is relevant to the essence of God. God says this makes me happy. the note. Since we are speaking about types of created beings that possess no redeeming virtues other than the fact that God created them, there is no logical reason why their refinement is important to him. Not only is he is he perfect in and of himself and therefore in no need of their refinement, there's no quality within their created beings in and of themselves that is of significance to him. So if so or why then is their refinement significant? The answer is because he desired a dwelling in the lower realms that this physical world which is characterized by self- concern and materialistic desire should be refined and made into a medium to reveal godliness. So I'm think let's say Mosa has shabas of a grandson, right? Just think about it. to take a baby at 8 days old and to circumcise a baby. Now we know the pain. The baby cries, screams from the cut. Is that make any sense? So comes along science and doctors and some say well doing that later on uh helps avoid certain types of uh illnesses. Okay, that's uh either there or or either yes or no. But what is the what's the reason? The reason is because it says in the Torah eighth day There was circumcision was right there was circumcision. So what what's the idea over here? The idea is that as it says in the swarim in holy writings that when you circumcise a child, you're cutting away part of the um the pleasure that one seeks from that particular organ in the person's body and that will guide them later in life. So here is an example of how if you look at if you look at the detail on its own, it's it's very problematic. But if you look at the detail as part of the greater whole that God wants us to serve him and God doesn't want us to follow our desires and lusts later in life. So he plants within a a boy this particular thing and why a boy not a girl. Those are all issues and questions that are discussed. But my point is you see that there's a purpose to the detail when you look at the the greater picture. That's what the Reb is saying here that when Hashem says serve you serve God your God the is relevant in the in to the overall scheme and plan of God's desire which is to make a home here on earth to serve him. The details on their own are not relevant. SO, SO WHEN SOMEONE ARGUES with you and says says these are antiquated, you're right. They're antiquated if you look at the details themselves and you don't understand the greater picture. And that's why it's difficult to convince someone intellectually who is not trained in that field that the details are relevant. So what do you need to do? The kabat approaches begin with behavior modification and from there simultaneously study and then you'll you'll have you'll have a better understanding. So when when to put on filling with a Jew even one time on the street or in in wherever it is who doesn't know about Judaism doesn't know about Torah that connection between a mitzvah the physical mitzvah or eat a piece of mat pes or sit in a suka or feed people food to help them. That mitzvah is a bond. That bond is part of the divine objective. Now, we are responsible to to figure out by studying and learning how the details are part of the overall objective. That's what the Reb says here. Before I go further, I want to make sure it's clear because this is kind of the thrust the nuda of this mimer and the rest of the mime which is quite elaborate is how to implement this concept of avod and yes misha. So, so Rabbi Delton, I want us can we go back to the previous note where it says in the previous page in the middle of page 128 where it says i.e. the particular deeds that a person performs in his divine service are not significant in and of themselves. So that line seems like it would it's saying that the particular deeds mean the particular like deeds meaning the details are not significant in and of themselves which is different than than what what we've just been speaking about the last few minutes. >> No it's not read no read the next line. Read the next line please. The ultimate intent and effect of man's service, the refinement of the material world is however significant to him as explained below. Oh, wait, wait. And that's why I've been I've been trying to say that second line means THAT THE DETAILS BECOME IMPORTANT BECAUSE of the because of the last line. You you you look look at the words. The divine service are not significant in and in and of themselves, but they ARE SIGNIFICANT IF YOU LOOK AT THEM FROM THE PERSPECTIVE of the overall objective. >> The way the way I think the way I heard you read it is they're not important of themselves and and that's it. Finished. No, it's wrong. It's saying that they're NOT IMPORTANT OF THEMSELVES ONLY IN OF IN AND OF THEMSELVES, BUT THEY DO BECOME IMPORTANT IF THEY'RE PART OF THE overall objective. >> Mhm. Mhm. I see. Okay. >> So, let let's let's >> Yeah, I think I I understand. >> Yeah. Let's let's talk in your your your line of work in art and and drawing and all of that. Tell me if this makes any sense. You have an idea. You want to you want to draw the B mikdash you want to draw you want to draw the what whatever then there are details what color paint and what strokes and all that all of those details are insignificant if there isn't an overall objective what you want to accomplish those details become important and necessary Moshe if YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH THE OVERALL PAINTING That's what he's saying here. >> It's the same the >> right >> and and and and what what I was explaining before is that the reason why at times we don't see the significance BECAUSE WE'RE NOT LEARNED and we don't see the CONNECTION BETWEEN THE OBJECTIVE AND THE DETAILS. That's the problem. You hear? THAT'S THE PROBLEM. >> YEAH. I I I hear it's interesting because in two of the examples like in my work like in terms of South writing if you don't get the details exactly right you don't you don't accomplish you don't accomplish anything >> right >> meaning right the letter is not is not the letter it's supposed to be >> right >> you know if you don't if you connect, you know, the legs of the shin all at the bottom. You don't connect them. You You don't have essentially you don't have the letter. That's right. >> It's also interesting if you're painting >> if you're painting like let's say you're painting a picture of the reb the strokes in the right place, you may not you may paint something very nice, but you look at it, it doesn't look like the rebel. There are things that are missing. There's little details. >> Exactly. So if you focus just on the details, they're insignificant. But if if the details are part of the overall program, the overall objective, then they're very important. Let's continue inside. Now we're turning the page. We're on page 130. serve Hashem. God will he himself will remove illness from you. You know who's going to remove the illness from the Jews from the people who serve God? From all those that serve God himself in his very essence. And this will clarify what's written. Over here it's written I will remove illness from amongst you and not as it's written earlier all illness that I have placed in Egypt I won't place upon you. So um it's two different things. So the Reb says because in the previous verse all the illness that that existed in Egypt I will not put upon you. It's talking about that there might be an an illness the possibility of sickness. And the verse says the blessing is that this potential illness won't come into actuality. But in our verse there's even a greater novelty that even when there is in actuality illness not just in potentia God himself will remove it even though it's there. And in order to accomplish that that once there is illness and to remove illness you need to have that come from the highest power a higher power. That's why the verse says in the first you know in in in in first person I will remove because this refers to God in his very essence because in other words like this that what it says in the previous verse all the illness that was in Egypt I won't put upon you that means in potentia there's potential illness you behave and do what God wants and God won't bring it upon you. over there it's written in third person but in this verse the following in the pre right the previous verse of sorry it says I I will remove why because in order to remove illness once you have it you need to have the essence of God do it and this by the way would be a a thought that When someone is already ill, they need to have they need to connect to the highest level of God to remove it. And if they don't, it won't happen. In other words, just thinking out loud like it's like we pray, we dav, you know, and a person passes away from an illness. Could be that they didn't reach the higher level. Again, just uh just just thinking out loud. Again, do we know? We don't know anything. But one thing's for sure, you know, in the letter that the Reba had written to me after my wife had her life saving accident in 1986. Yeah, I think this November 86 in Marin County. um returning from a LAMA's birthing class with uh pregnant with my son 7 months had a you know very very bad accident and uh came out of the car unscathed. So I wrote to the Reb and the Reb wrote back to me uh the lesson from I asked him what's the lesson what's what am I to learn from this bizarre episode and that EP you know told me what to to learn from it is the importance of elacrity in all matters of goodness and kindness not to procrastinate when you have an opportunity. should do it right away. But then he and he quoted the rashi in Rashi says. You see here in the mime is emphasizing that that in order to take to get rid of an illness that's already there, you need a higher power. But Rashi says that you'll be blessed that you you won't to begin with get ill. And the Reb quoted that and he actually wrote in the word in his own holy writing cuz they didn't when they typed up the letter the secretaries they didn't put that in for whatever reason. I don't know. But I you could see I have a copy of it. I don't have the original. They never gave out the original. The original Reb's notes on on on people's letters, which was the style that he started to do from like 1968 on. Until then he was dictating full page letters and then it changed generally speaking it changed to brief responses on people's letters in his handwriting. So this letter this this is what happened in in when he wrote the response um they for whatever reason they didn't put in the word which is a quote from Rashi so you could see it's handwritten in the Reb's handwriting and that's no contradiction but it's what we're learning here and what the Reb quotes from Rashi is no contradiction the bottom line is that that this this this chapter needs to open us up to to the idea that service serving Hashem is is good for us and the details are relevant and it's a matter of learning and understanding the details as we go on through life. Okay, we'll see everyone tomorrow. Mashem, have a great day. Take care soon.