Maamar Mayim Rabim 1977 #7 - Blessings for Children, Health and Livelihood - RC Dalfin

So good good day. We're learning this uh mimer u May 1977. Today will be the last shear of this bor uh hashem because um we'll finish it. Uh tomorrow there won't be any shar you have to be somewhere. So uh no class tomorrow with hashem's help will resume on Monday. Now the Reba in this last chapter which is chapter six he ties the whole theme that he talks about together with a verse in the Torah. The Torah says Yakov and and Jacob the patriarch Jacob Yakov went on his way. He progressed on his way. Now that's lit the the verses in the Torah referring to a Yakov an episode that he had that he he he he succeeded and he wasn't harmed and he went on his way and then the Torah says after that and Yakov lifted his feet his his legs. Why does the Torah have to say that he lifted his legs? Seems to be so in ins insignificant. And Rashi the commentator basic commentator on Torah teaches us that the reason he lifted his leg he lifted it out of elation. He received an elevation because he heard good news. The Talmud records an interesting story. I think it's in the trap giten the story of Kamar that we learn and read in conjunction with Tishabove I think but I'm not sure so you know don't quote me on it. Anyway, this story is in the Talmud somewhere and that is that the um the king I think I forget which particular king received good news and it's and he then tried putting on his shoe. He had one shoe on and one shoe off. And he tried putting on his shoe after he received the good news and his foot couldn't fit into the shoe. He didn't understand. Why not? Why not? Is that his foot inflated and it was now too large to fit the shoe. It was the wrong size. Why did it inflate? Because he was just told good news. Dov is anyone know am I am I saying the story right because it could be I have it mixed up with it was a rabbi not the king but okay anyway there is such a >> sir I don't recall >> okay but there is such a story in the tal I wouldn't be making it up I just don't recall if it was the rabbi the the sage of the time or it was the king I think it was the non-Jewish So the the G so what we understand for this piece of Talmud is that when a person hears good news THERE'S A PHYSICAL CHANGE IN THEIR body to THE POINT WHERE HIS FOOT COULDN'T FIT INTO THE SHOE. SO, one foot and and and and if you're going to ask me a question, well, why didn't it happen to both feet? I don't know. But the fact is that he had one foot already in a shoe and one foot out of a shoe and he had to put it and wanted to put it on and it didn't fit. That's my recollection of the story. The punchline that we walk away with is that the physical human body experiences expansion. the gash meth physically when you hear good news the professionals here can tell me but I believe that psychology has come to this conclusion as well whether it's positive moods coming your mood when you hear good news you feel better I I I know I know in my own life when in middle of a day when I I get a a an email, a text, a WhatsApp of something that's good. I I just physically feel better and and I you know I'm sitting I'll get up. I'll be in a better mood. Surah Yakov got good news. Rashi says Rashi says this this also reminds me of something else. I you all know that I was eight years I was in Marin County, California, Northern California and we had a very serious zoning case, you know, the age-old argument, you know, religion in in zoning, right? since 2002 when President Clinton passed a bill signed a bill of the ROP. It's called the religious use uh rule. It's RLUA and since then it's eased the restrictions on having shuls synagogues laab churches in residential areas. But my case was 1989 started in ' 89. So it was before that and I believe we were if not the first one of the first cases in the country to win a case exempting us from having a parking lot. We had a driveway where you could put fit some cars but we didn't have no parking lot. And in California for sure it was the first case, but it could be even throughout the whole country because usually the cases that that there were before were with a with a parking lot. You know, the question was whether you can have a a church in in a residential area and and and and at the end they ruled maybe you could, BUT YOU NEED A PARKING LOT TO accommodate the cars. Well, our argument was we're an Orthodox Jew. We don't drive our shabas. And if a few people come by car, it's an exception. That's an exception. And we and we don't have a whole parking lot of cars. And that was factual because they because our opponents stayed were we're were we're on the street with video cameras videoing what's going on by Shul who's coming and going on Shabas and how many cars on the street. Anyway, but I I want to get to this point. It's a whole I wrote a whole book on called Kabad House. All the legal proceedings are in there and the newspaper articles. It was three years of my life in which I served as a lawyer. I can't say a doctor but a lawyer, an architect, a contractor, a builder, a rabbi was three heavy years, 89, 90,91. Anyway, so at certain point, so you know, I was in touch with the Reba the whole time, letting him know what's going on, asking for Braha's blessings. I had my father even go Sunday to receive dollars and speak to the Reb on my behalf for a braha. And we won the case, you know. We we won the case after much, you know, work and and and money had to be raised for lawyers, big money. We won. So I got a call one morning in middle of the week. I remember like now Rabbi Groner, one of the Reba secretaries calls me and he says, "I hear you um you won your case." I said, "Yeah." He says, "Why didn't you let the Reb know the good news, the surah?" He says, "When you have a problem and you had the issues for for several years, you cried your heart out. You wrote your letters. You communicated with the Reb by dollars and asked for brahas and had your father ask and on and on and on." And the Reb gave you the brah and he gave me many bras. And when you have good news, you don't it doesn't even dawn on you to let the Reb know the results. That was a a correct criticism. And ever since then, I'm very particular. Some of you know from when you communicate with me privately, I always answer whether it be with a K or or I always acknowledge. It's rare that I don't acknowledge the most long or short, significant or insignificant. I acknowledge people because that's the mention thing to do and that I learned. I was always good at it but you know but from that time on the Reb told me why don't you let me know. So we're talking about that here towards the end of the mime that when Jacob received good news it he lifted his his legs his feet meaning he had an elevation. The Reb says here in the Yakov progresses, he progresses to his way. What does Lud mean, Mark? Your way. The way of the world, the way of the abundant waters that we've been talking about in the last se six classes. the may the worries and anxieties and preoccupation with livelihood with health etc etc. How is Yakov able to progress? And the Reb says we learned yesterday not only do you kind of walk step by step you become a walker a goer a mahalik in Hebrew mahalik a progressor. How do you become that? Through sima. What brings sima good news. How do you get the good news? When you within yourself internalize the experience and the challenge as good news. So rather and as Isra said so eloquently and I repeated it by way to my wife that you know the word I I I love the vert there's no Hebrew word for problem in in Hebrew they use today the word ba mark baya but baya is an an Aramaic word it's not a Hebrew word in the Hebrew language there is no Hebrew word technically correctly based based on biblical language, Torah language for problem. So this rabbi told Iser who had spoken to him about a problem. He said there's no problems. There's challenges. There's opportunities. There's no problems. There's no there's no problems. Now to have that mind change, that paradigm shift, it takes a lot of work. But if you can accomplish it even in one or two areas of your life, you'll be so much happier. So don't wake up on the left side, wake up on on the right side. And that's when Yakov goes to his to his way. He goes into the world. He goes into the cage of the lion and he says, "I'M READY TO TACKLE YOU. What do you want? How are we going to make this work?" Right? And that includes opponents. That includes people who seek to hurt us. God forbid. This is what we learned yesterday. Today, the Reb in concluding the mimer isn't just stylistic, you know, with a blessing. Some think of the Reb's conclusion of of discourses, you know, it's like a, you know, a speaker or a writer who concludes with good news. There's a hala there's a law uh that when you I I don't know if it's a a law but there is this tradition I should say better it's a tradition every Friday we're supposed to review the portion of the week twice the verse with once the tarum the the Aramaic translation of tarumul as it's called the last verse verse after doing twice the verse and then the last taragum translation, you're supposed to go back and say the verse again. Did you know that? And the reason for that is you don't want to end off with the Aramaic even though it's holy of holies. I mean was a convert who went into the tradition of Judaism became accepted in extraordinary way. Nevertheless, it's not the biblical Torah language. It's enulus. So what do we do? We say the verse one more time after the after the the last tarum recitation of the last verse. Yes. It's something some someone has their yoni please mute yourself. So what what do we see that a person should always end off with good news you know in marketing is that way too. Whatever whatever you whatever you want if you want people to to feel good about it you have to end off something good. If you end over something morbid and negative, they're left with morbidity and negativity because that's the way we are. No one says, "OH, WELL, HE SPOKE FOR A HALF AN HOUR ABOUT THIS THESE great things and happy things." No, no. He ended off with in in a sorrow note, you know, and listen, there's time for that, too. And there's a there's aim and a shiva. There's time for that, too. But even though even then you know the traditional blessing was speakers for the centuries when they would finish a talk a rabbi giving a sermon they would finish with goa and and come to Zion and and and have the redemption the Messiah. So they always did end off with a posit a positive note. Well, so the Reb here will be ending the mimemer with a positive note, blessings for children, health and sustenance and livelihood. But it's much more than that. The way I see it is that the Reb is connecting to getting these blessings. So it's not just a wish. I I wish you and I pray for you to be blessed with health, children, and sustenance and a good livelihood. Posa, no, he's saying more than that. The key to that, the key is the is is if if we can attain more and more sim, it'll also bring blessing in those three areas. Let's see now inside the text how the Reba writes it. So we're on page 322 after the last line after he says we spoke about that yesterday that shatters all convention. And when a yeet when a Jew serves Hashem in all three kind of lines but doesn't mean lines in all three approaches G which are gim they are also referred to as the three children of Noah and but literally what are they next page 323 top of the page the study of Torah aid the service referring to prayer and acts of kindness and benevolence charity and helping. So when one serves Hashem with the ultimate wholesomeness in these three areas and with joy and gladness of the heart when we serve Hashem in these three areas with wholesomeness, happiness and gladness of the heart, It causes a reciprocal effect that Hashem sends the his blessing in everything that the person needs in every field in the three ideas, the three topics of those are the children, life and sustenance. Children meaning healthy children, having children etc. means good health for yourself is livelihood. Hashem will send his blessing in those three areas of your life in the with the with the ultim wholesomeness and with happiness. the exact same three three things, Mark. The three things that if we endeavor in these three in in in these three things, study of Torah with and and and prayer and acts of kindness, and we will do it with wholesomeness, happiness, and gladness of the heart. This will draw down Hashem's blessing in those three areas in YOUR LIFE WITH WHOLESOMENESS, HAPPINESS, AND GLADNESS OF THE HEART. That's what it says. He's telling you he's he's he's letting us into THE SECRETS OF GOD'S MIND. He's it's not this isn't just, you know, well, we have to conclude the mimer IN A POSITIVE WAY. SO, HE GIVES us a blessing. It's very shallow to study it that way. This isn't just a good rabbi and a good teacher. This is a he's giving us a key into having do you hear that? A person needs a shiddok for a child right that that their their son their daughter should find a good shock to marry to build a Jewish home. Right here it tells you what to do. work on your happiness and your wholesomeness and your gladness of the heart when you study Torah. No, you shouldn't study, h I have to shle to a class. What's Rabbi Dolphin going to say if I don't come to the class the next day? He's going to nudge me. That's not happiness. You want to be there. You want to learn. You want to grow. You want to dav. You want to pray. You want to get your heart involved. and you want to give and you want to help. You know, that's what we're talking about here. When Hashem sees when God sees that you have this attitude, he says, "I'm going to have the same attitude towards you." Let's continue and finish. This will be regarding the blessing will will express itself and be experienced in the spiritual in the material. So the gashm is and in the spiritual and the material together. What's the what's the emphasis over here? I mean the says finished. That's where the M should end. That's where the period should be. No, there's a comma. And then he says, when you guys would learn this, would you stop and ask yourself that question or you JUST CLOSE THE BOOK? FINISHED. YES, SIR. Wake up. So, what are we saying over here? What are we saying? What are we saying over here? Possibly there's no comments on this. This is based on my learning of the Reb's approach over many years. There could be a blessing only in the material or there can be a blessing only in the spiritual but not in both. And that's always fine. Some people are very spiritual, very holy, right? But when it comes to their bank account and it comes to their physical life and everything else, they don't have it. There are others that are blessed materially whether it be wealth whether it be other you know you know exciting jobs creativity right but you take a look Mai as you take a look at their spiritual life it's beereft of of godliness I'm not just talking about you know does he keep shabas does he not keep shabas he put on film that's self understood we mean to say the person is not is not holy. Holy means sensitive, refined, refined. You know, everything that the person does is is grub, is coarse, is anim animalistic, right? So, Hashem will bless you that either you'll be blessed in the spiritual track or you'll BE BLESSED IN THE MATERIAL TRACK. So the Reba comes along and says together and that's the ultimate blessing. There's an integration between the spiritual and the physical. It's not that you'll have the blessing in either or you'll have the blessing in both. because both become one. And that is a basic teaching of andidis to integrate the physical with the spiritual. The spiritual with the physical to be a a Torah Jew, a learned Jew, a holy Jew, a sacred person and not involve the physical body. That means that includes the mind, the heart and all other parts of the body for them to remain outside of the spiritual consciousness is not where it's at. And that's why, as I've told you many times, the Talmud records certain stories which on the face of it is is like ridiculous. And some would say it's it can board on voyerism. Tomwood records a story of of students hiding in the closet or on the bed of the rabbi while he was intimate with his wife. Now when you reach the story, what does the average person say? This is disgusting. And the Talmud explains that they wanted to learn how to be intimate in a holy way. So they knew that by observing their rabbi that's where they could find it cuz as much as you teach but when you see two people engaged in the actual intimate moment etc etc and done with holiness refinement that was the way they learned and it's very hard for for for us to to to relate to it but that's what It says in the atonement or the other story that's quoted he juggled women. We spoke about it SEVERAL TIMES. HE JUGGLED WOMEN. Juggling women. You're you're you're uh you're a low life. You're decrepit. The Talmet says the bur HAD A WEDDING JUGGLED WOMEN. WHAT does the what does explain? What's explain and and the Tal that he he was so excuse the expression he w to him it was like juggling wood sticks he wasn't at all moved by the female or in today's language he didn't sexualize the experience now the average person can't do that and is not allowed to do it because he's going to be sexualized having a woman on his hands and b it's it's it's completely it's completely uh you know difficult AND THAT THE says so what do we see Misha what do we see that the ultimate IS TO BEHAVE as a Jew in the physical material world that's the ultimate So again, certain things today we're not on the level we're not allowed to do. Right? Today if someone at a wedding were to juggle a woman on his hands, he would be thrown out and ostracized because it's outrageous, right? But if you're loy, you're on a different plane. So do me a favor. Whoever Oh, mute yourself guy. I'm hearing noises. One second. So what we learn over here at the end of the means to bring them together. Now I must say as a disclaimer one doesn't have the right to decide on his own how to bring the two TOGETHER IF IT INVOLVES such issues that we discussed and other such issues. you need a bezdon, a a rabbi, a RV, a mashpia, you know, because we've had that too. People in the in the name of Hashem, in the name of God, do all kinds of things and it's not acceptable. But in in the mime here, we're not really talking about these grandiose issues which I spoke about. We're talking more about how to in your life bring this into your life. And a simple example when you eat, right? When you eat supper, lunch, breakfast, are you eating with completely like, you know, like a a glutton or you eating spiritual have a great day. I hope uh some of this will uh will be taken into account to think about. Yes. Yes. >> What are we learning? What are we learning next? >> I I I I want to I want to decide. Is there another volume of this? Do you know? >> I have no idea. I don't have that one. I just go online and get my the >> Okay. Okay. I I will I will uh in the next few days, but tomorrow there's no Shir. Um but in Monday with Hashem um there'll be she Okay. Misha, you wanted to say something? Yes. Misha? >> Yeah. before you sign off uh just the three points that you mentioned in order to get the the brahas you said the three areas of being wholesomeness uh gladness simra I didn't get the third one >> no the the second one is sim joy which is different than the third one which is gladness of the heart I know they sound the same but there is a nuance different yeah so basically you could basically for your purposes for our purpose we could say two things uh wholesomeness and and and and joy. Go ahead. >> Okay. >> Clear. >> Okay, everyone. Have a great Shabas. We'll see everyone Monday. Byebye.