Rinat Chaim: Rule With Loving Kindness with Rabbi Aaron Dovid Poston

[music] You my [singing] [music] [singing] birthday. [music and singing] Shalom everybody. Welcome back to the madash. Welcome home to Torah. A warm welcome as always. Tonight we are dealing again with the reim and it's freelander on the high holidays. The the the prayers which we already discussed. One of the things that we're doing for is for a good year. And the prayers are not only on rash shana for the good year but many of the concepts are fundamental in Judaism that we want to see fulfilled [snorts] through the year. Okay. So we discussed this idea that when you have to give rebuke or you have to be stern make sure that with your right hand you pull close with your left hand you push away. meaning you push away lightly, weakly, you know, as as in a in a weak sense. You don't really push away. Maybe it's even um like teasing you're pushing away. But whatever it is, it's light with the left because that's your weak hand, but pull in strong. You want to make the person feel welcome and have a sense of selfworth as opposed to what the left hand may may portray, you know, den. So we're continuing with that thought and says like this we can actually explain this whole idea in a whole another way. We discussed the idea when it says again the word yad by itself meaning when it's with your right hand but it's not listed as what it is. the yacht is always referring to the left hand. And when it says, you're right. So, it's always talking about uh the right hand. So, when we say these words that um strength is in your hand and so strength is in your let's say left hand and mightor is in your right hand. the the idea of gavor means to prevail to overcome to overcome with your right hand. So he discusses this idea right away. He says strength is in your hand. It's small. It's talking about your left hand. The intent is referring to the strict judgment. Hamish and this is an idea. The mode of conduct is according to your strict judgment. That is the that's the that's the character trait. Hashem leads and conducts the world with a mode of conduct that is strict judgment. Very strong strict judgment. That's what it means. However, we also say which basically we're ask we're saying that the might is in your right hand. Not just the might, but there's a prevailing there's a growing strength. That's we're asking for from his right hand. This right hand of God is his mercy, is his kindness. And we're asking that that should prevail over the strict judge judgment as it says as if to say [snorts] what we're asking. But the truth is Hashem is able. He's totally capable. He's y he's able to to strengthen to overcome to prevail his mercy over the side of strict judgment and to judge the world kindly with loving kindness. Now this is a very interesting gamorra and I have it in English for you. Okay, in gammor 7a. So there's two sides to the page. Look at the first side where it says page one. I'll read it in Hebrew first and then we'll discuss it. So there's three dots which means at least in his uh his version he's he's leaving out certain things from where where do we know that God prays and it discusses it and then it says what does he pray? So apparently God prays It should come. It should be my will before meashi that my own mercy should conquer should overcome my uh my uh my mercy should overcome my wrath, my anger theolu and that it should be um prevailing um my mercy over all my character traits. I'm looking and that I should treat and have conduct with my children with the character trait of mercy and I should enter what we call beyond the letter of the law. Okay? Not by the strict letter of the law, but have more mercy. The Sham now that same Gomorrah says that God asked Rabi Ishmamail to bless him. Very strange, but the truth is that that DA of Gomorrah is actually discussing the braha of a hediote. If you see somebody walking down the street, you don't know them. They're not very, let's say, they're not the prince. They're not very kash. They're not a great rabbi. They're not a great makub. And never they give a braha. Don't what's the word? Don't belittle it. Hold it in in great esteem. This is braha of a headot of a common person. It may be unbelievable um results coming from that braha. And don't belittle it. Well, guess what? Here's an example. Hashem asked Rebi. Okay, it is Rabi Ishmael for all you know practical purposes. But still, Hashem's asking a human being to give him a braha. We're going to ask the question, God himself gave his own braha. Why should he need an human being to give him braha? But the Gomorrah says, Yeshini that God said to Ishmael, Rebe Ishmael, my son, bless me. And he basically said exactly the same word for word. not he's blessing Hashem that it beem's will that your mercy should overcome conquer your wrath and that you should enter the Jewish people beyond the letter of the law. Okay. And now there is an idea that what do we learn from there that um there actually is a need that Hashem wants this to happen. He causes this to happen. He asked Rebi Ishmael to bless him. Well, it comes out. What do we learn from this? That Hashem feels the need. He wants it. The very fact that he asked Ishmael to make the same braha is very interesting that uh he's asking he's he's asking Ishmael to pray the exact same thing that he should enter into beyond the letter of law and judge the Jewish people favorably. And uh so we see that God is he wants to overcome with his mercy. And [snorts] that's what we mean by before we go on to the next paragraph, I want you to look at the actual gamor itself. I think we read most of the idea first of all from where do we know that Hashem even prays? So in Isaiah 56:7, God says, "I will bring them to my holy mountain. I'm going to bring them to my holy mountain." The I'm sorry, [snorts] right? Which means that I'm going to make them joyful in the house of Tili. God is calling that house his house of prayer. It's his prayer which means he prays but we still don't know what he prays. So Ra Zutra Bartovia said exactly what we just read. God says may it be my will that my mercy will overcome my anger towards Israel for their transgressions and may my mercy prevail over my attributes and my other attributes through which Israel is punished. and may I conduct myself toward my children Israel with the attribute of mercy and my may I enter before them beyond the letter of the law. Okay, the next part of course he went to Rabi Ishmael and Rabi Ishmael offered him the same braha and at the very last paragraph the holy one blessed be he nodded his head and accepted the blessing. This event teaches that you should not take the blessing of an ordinary person lightly. If God asked for and accepted a man's blessing, all the more so that a man must value the blessing of another person. I want to show you what we do. If you see on this on the back of the Hebrew sheet, you have an English part. This is in the this taken from the arts school meorim have it especially immediately after the aasak that we say these words master of the universe may it be your will Hashem our God and the God of our forefathers that you remember for our sake the covenant of our forefathers just as Abraham our forefather he suppressed his mercy for his only son and wished to subjugate slaughter him in order to do your will. It's right after we read the thea. So may your mercy suppress your anger from upon us and may your mercy overwhelm your attributes. May you overstep with us the line of your law. That's and deal with us, oh Hose, our God, with the attribute of kindness and the attribute of mercy. It's word for word. I just want to read the rest just so we get a a feeling. In your great goodness, may you turn aside your burning wrath from upon your people, your city, your land, and your heritage. Fulfill for us, Hashem, our God, the word you pledged through Moses, your servant, as as it says, and this is, you know, the whole world should know, right? Hashem doesn't forget. He says in Leviticus 26:42, "I shall remember my covenant with Yakov, my covenant with Yeets, and my covenant with Abraham shall I remember, and the land shall I remember." Beautiful verse. Um, let's just go back. This is very important because it's not just a cabalistic idea. This is something very down to earth. uh we discussed before the idea of the to d'vorah how when we act we act towards others mercifully we are uh not not turn the other cheek per se but to a certain extent that's a Jewish idea sometimes to be a vatron to overlook then hashem will do that to us he will overlook us meaning in he won't examine our sins as deeply and the whole world is going to be judged favorably because if we judge someone else favorably. Hashem's going to judge them favorably and the whole world is standing in in a perfect balance. Therefore, we're by judging someone else favorably bringing the whole world to a to a better balance. So, let's continue last the last short paragraph. We already know if God ever wanted to overcome his anger, it's certainly in his hand. is certainly within his ability to do. So what exactly is the explanation? Why would God need a prayer for himself? That should only be my will. I should be able to change it. You have the ability to change it. The is God actually wants to that's his will. Of course, he wants to overcome have have his test and prevail and deal with us beyond the letter of the law. Unbelievable what he's about to say. He hangs or makes dependent his behavior on our actions, on our deeds, what we do. Hashem responds. Hashem will respond with mercy and when only when we are fit or deserving of his love and kindness. Now is that really true? We'll find out. Nevertheless, when it comes to this idea of this is therefore we're asking let's look quickly at rash rash 17a it's on the other side of the English sheet and um a sage from the school of ra Ishmael taught in a bryer he overlooks each and every first transgression this is in other words rishon rish we the uh 13 attributes of mercy. This is what one of the ideas are and that is the attribute of mercy that he overlooks the first transgression. Rosh RV Weinberg used to tell us men that when it comes to guarding your eyes, the first glance is free. Meaning you're not going to end up paying for it, but you have to turn away and not take a second glance. And um the second glance you have to pay for, meaning it's going to cost you. So um Hashem is willing to overlook the first transgression. That's the attribute of mercy that God forgives one's first sin and therefore he tips the scale of the merits. Ra is said but the sin itself which God overlooks is not completely erased. If the individual's actions are still mostly sins, God counts the overlooked sin with them and meets out punishment accordingly. Okay. But what about Rava? What Rava has to say? Ro says he understood the verse completely different and said with regard whoever forgoes his reckonings with others for injustice is done to him the heavenly court in turn forgoes his punishment for all his sins. And now we're going to read a verse in Mika and this is part of the actually the the 13 attributes of mercy in a different way. Uh he bears sin and forgives transgression. Um, whose sin does he bear? Whose sin will God forgive? The sins of the one who forgives others, who forgoes his reckonings with others for injustice committed against him. In Hebrew it's called that anyone who let's say lets the the pro the insult roll off their back so to speak Hashem will do the same. He'll in terms of your transgressions. That's what it means. someone who works on their character and doesn't react right is able to somehow have the fortitude to either keep his mouth shut don't roll his eyes whatever it is uh to uh to take in fact Benishai actually says about someone slaps you he doesn't say turn the other cheek but he does say think of it as Hashem is the person who however it comes to be obviously through Hashem but a person is smacking the tomb out of you and you should be grateful that that had happened. Doesn't mean you're ready to take a second slap, but in terms of that first slap perhaps you should look at it in in the positive light and um so I told you this would be a short one but this is I think very fundamental in our everyday lives. It's not just on rash that we're looking for forgiveness. In order to have forgiveness on a constant basis, it's good to forgive others. It's almost fundamental. It's almost like it's given. Okay. And in fact on yum yum kipur el before yamipur before we're looking for forgiveness from others. Right? And it says that if you don't try to make amends or try to appease the person you harmed so then you're not going to be forgiven by God. Now we all think what does that mean? That might mean that I'll just won't be forgiven for the sins I c I created between me and man. Oh, what about the sins I had between me and God? I'm all good, right? No, not necessarily. It's taught that you have to also elicit this this what's the word? The goodwill amongst men. You you you should make the effort to seek forgiveness and for sure to forgive. And then hopefully it will be like this statement here says will be to accept Hashem's mercy. So we'll work on this. There's one more thing to work on but it's fundamental. And uh that's it for tonight and we'll see you all next week. [music] [singing] >> [music] >> You see your [singing] body [music] [singing] >> [music and singing]