Shira Smiles before Rosh Hashana- Sep 16, 2025

Good morning. I apologize. I I should have been here according to the original plan at 8:58. And the revol said, "No, you're not going to get here at 858. You'll get here when I want you to get here." And that is our theme for today. Malios and I have no voice. That is also our theme. Laios, give it over. You know, it reminds me of the fellow who's a wagon driver who they say, "Don't go on this road. There's a big hole that you'll fall into." And he says, "I drive this road every single week. I don't worry." And he drives the road and he falls into the hole and he says, "I don't get it. Every week I drive here and every week there's this hole." And I say the same thing every year. I start teaching and my voice goes. So don't you realize Shira think before you start teaching doesn't help my friends will do a little bit less inside more outside let's learn together in 1A says we all pass in front of Hashem. So there's different interpretations of the name Maron whether it's like the sheep whether it's like the narrow passageway or like the uh soldiers of of army it means individually the puzzle as a proof text [Music] Hashem forms our hearts and knows our deeds that's the garra then in 1B the gurra continues and the gurra says says the bishat and they're all looked at in one fail swoop. So the mafim ask on this and this is if brings well hold on a second which one is it are we judged individually or are we judged collectively and as writes in source two we're not talking about how hashem judges us yeah that that's But are we judged collectively or are we judged individually? So there's a famous there's a famous letter of Rabuna which the Israel brings in source number four the essence of rash are two different puking. One P on the third line in four is when Alicia asks this is what can I do for you? You've made such great accommodations for us. And she answers you don't have to do anything for me. And she says famous linear [Music] ami I am living among my people. Don't distinguish me from everyone else. That's one puzz and then there's another puzz which is found in the of the second day of rash and that's by the datashem from afar hashem appears to me which it would seem that it's not about but rather hashem appears to me says Rabun how we this is the end of four how we understand both of these who swed rashana that's a secret of rashish shana so my friends there's a lot to say there's always a lot to say um I want to try to give and whatever we do is is not in any way allincclusive I want to try to look at there are three approaches I have on the sheets. I want to just bring two >> short beyond that but thanks. Yeah. Thanks. Appreciate it. Um so let's take a look at two levels in the time that we have today. If we could turn off the phone to accept that Oh, [Music] was created by himself. This isn't just telling us there was no one else there. It's telling us something much deeper. He was created as an individual and each and every one of us has to live like as an individual. And this was the problem in the ham. They became like a conglomerate where everyone was the same. They lost they lost their individuality. Second paragraph he says even though there are a lot of people in this world. We have to keep our individuality. Here's the key double underlined by the asterisk. No two people are alike from the beginning of time to the end of time. We have to know what makes me special. Why did God create me? He has billions of people in this world. There must be something about me that nobody else has. Now sometimes I say thank God. But in general and therefore in source six [Music] Rashana is a different than yum kipper. Yum kipper is about my kept shabas. I didn't I said I didn't. What is rashashana about? This is what rash shana is about. Have I lived up to my am I the type of person Hashem has envisioned for me to be? You see the original rashashana parisho was asked one word and that word is >> where are you? He knew he was hiding behind the tree. That wasn't the question. I made you I made you the handiwork of Hashem. Where are you? What happened to you? That's the question that we are asked. Where are we? And this explains on the next page in sources seven and eight the Rambam. But the Rambam quotes the Gurra that says we have three groups the Sadikim, the Rashim and the Benonim. And we'll add parathetically an idea we've mentioned many times from the do quotes that these three books that are open the pen is not in the rebon shalom's hand it is in our hand you read yourself in what book do you want to be in you want to be in sadly great you want to be a Russian that's your prerogative and most of us are just what >> I call them betw twix in between we want our cake We got a lot of it. And we want to eat a lot of it. So the Gumarra seems to say you do one mitzvah, you tip the scale. The Rambam doesn't say that. The Rambam says, "And if you do chuva, you've tipped the scale." Why does the Rama very famous question deviate from the gam? Because if I do the mitzvah of kibav or I do the mitzvah of stuck or pick any mitzvah that doesn't necessarily reflect on me. What does chuva mean? Chuva means going back to the suras which also answers parathetically. We have a lot to talk about. I hope my voice lasts. Do you ever wonder why Rashashana is the first two days of the mate chuva and we don't do chuva? It's like the greatest anomaly. How could you call it a serious 10 10 days and these are the first two? There's no there's no voy there's nothing. So the classic answer that well I'm not doing the classic answer. Let's do my answer. What is chuva? Chuva is first and foremost returning back to who I am. The suras. Only after I've gotten back to that surah who the envisions me to be, then I can now reccalibrate and ask, am I living that life that that I feel I should be at? Is my Torah is my on par with that vision that Hashem has for me? And then that would be the technical aspects of chuva once I've done the the foundation of chuva of knowing who the suras is. Now I'm I'm apologize you and everybody just because I started 10 minutes late afterwards. I apologize. I I'm just I'm just getting empty source nine. But when we come to rash, let's talk about the surah a little bit deeper, a little bit further. When we come to rash source 9, which is called the day of remembrance, there's a big question. What actually took place historically on this day? So it's it's a between Yeshua. When was the world created? Was it created? Well, really, when was created? Was it Nissan or Tishre? So the toast says it was both. That's such a Jewish answer. How was it both? Allah of the thought process to create the world happened on Tish. When did Hashem actually create the world? So says Rafinis. So if we will ask in the asterisk what actually happened in Russia Shana, the answer is nothing. The world's greater rash there was nothing but divine thought but the divine thought is something it's not like our thought I think a lot of things but doesn't necessarily bring to fruition we find in the squiggies in kazal that it came up as thought in the beginning to create the world through midas strict justice then hashem wasn't going to survive and he added midas So consequently the basis of man and the entire world was in tish. Then creation in fact began. We called it laying the foundation stone and the dedication ceremony was ina rashana is the world as it came up in thought as it truly should have been. It's to go back to the way the world was meant to be. And if we're going back to the way the world was meant to be, we need to go back to the way we're meant to be. And that's that's really looking at ourselves. Are we the way Hashem envisioned us? 12. Our vote on this day is to bring ourselves back to the state that Hashem had wanted at the beginning creation back to the human being that Hashem wanted to create through Din. And we need to make an accounting of ourselves. Where are we view of the creation? A person should ask myself am I befitting of the title Adam or not my true man? A person does not bring himself into line with creation as Hashem wanted it. It's not worthy of all the title. It's like a table without legs whose shortcoming is not the fact that things can't be placed on it, but it's not a table. It's a slap of wood. If we're not functioning in the way Hashem envisioned us, can we really be called an do we have the suras? So now you'll ask me which he asks, what is the definition of adam? And this is what he answers. And I want us to really hold this definition asterisk. The basic definition of Adam is a creature that is connected to Hashem, a created being upon which the holyina can rest. If a person lacks this quality, then he may look like an Adam, but he's really not one. And he goes on to explain that the wordam is made up of two parts. Alf, which is the word aloof. Alof is a >> a general uh you're right. It is a prince too. It's a it's a >> a top dam. Do you put the alufo shalom, the master of the world, over your dam, over your blood? Let's put that in English. Is Hashem the central focus of our lives? He goes further and says at the end of 14 and 15 that we're created as an were called we have a mala a living speaking spirit and that living speaking spirit is meant to connect to hashem you know there's a great piece invi's first safer where he says the brahim the resurrection of the dead is not just a future futuristic braha it's for us continuously any moment we are not connected to Hashem it's as if we've disconnected and we no longer have a right for life and resurrection happens all day let me put this in another way why are we on planet Earth, we're here to do the will of Hashem, which means that in every moment I have to look for those opportunities to do that. So that could be enjoying tea. You know, my dad always says that the dessert on chabas pie and tea are very holy. It's piety. But I'm doing I get lost challenge and that's a metaphor for life. We have so many opportunities. I just have this now. I'm waiting to make the right on uh whatever that is. whooping. Is that it? Uh for 12 minutes and a taxi cuts right in front of me. Do you know those moments? Like I've been waiting on here 12 minutes and my initial knee-jerk reaction was autonom. But I had a choice how to react. It's living with awareness. Do I hunt? Do I not hug? It's living with awareness. Adam 16. The degree to which a person is an Adam is the degree that he feels Hashem as a true reality. a simple reality that within his life and close to him to the extent that a person sees Hashem in this way and conducts himself accordingly he's fit to be called Rash Hashem doesn't examine whether we have the likeness of Adam everyone knows the likeness of everyone here and David the judgment of Rashashana is about how much true Adam each person has are we connected just if we take a peek in 33 through 36 I know 35 is missing. This is really the mindset that needs to reverberate throughout our lives that we have on the davening of Russia shana. Let's do the bottom of 33. We say in our davin rule over the entire world alum. What does it mean to rule over the whole world? So we normally think about this be the master of the universe in whatever planet or whatever you know sphere. But that's really a very superficial understanding. [Music] It's about ruling Hashem in every situation in life. [Music] Wherever we are, do we find there? Do we connect? And that's why we we continue in our den. We recognize every creature that Hashem formed it. Which means that everything that I do has the ability to connect to something much higher than myself. It's living at a different level of awareness. And that's our challenge. You know, as the balusers say, it's very easy to make Hashem king over the world. It's much harder to make Hashem king over our world. And the second part of that is you know like someone once went to a RV and said I I just don't get rashana. I stood there thinking all imageries of malos hashem is a melik hashem is a king and I had all these imageries of kingdom and it didn't impact me. So the ro said did you at any point think of yourself as his servant? No, I just thought about him as king. Well, my friend, that's why it made limited impact. Where are we in this picture? It can't be theoretical. It has to be about me. Where am I in the picture? And this is what Ruff Talber talks about in source number 18. The famous Mishna says, "If not if I'm not for myself, then who will be for me? Nobody can do what I'm meant to do in every situation. Wherever I am, For me, the world is created for this moment. Hashem created me in order to be able to access this opportunity that I have. As he says, after a person believes in aesh as says the next thing is a person has to believe in themselves. They have to believe in themselves. They have to believe in their greatness. There's a great piece that um not in front of us but I'll share also to keep in mind in our davening it's nice to have like moments we say ah I know what that's talking about. Do you know what I mean? Because otherwise it just goes on forever. Um in theronos [Music] inronos there's a very beautiful and usually the sings it don't worry I'm not going to at the repeat and that is low. So this is again from the safara talking about how How much he are we so beloved to we're like that only child. So Brazil in the safer has a galdic word. He says what do we learn from the fact that it says the child the son said why. So we have to look at ourselves as the child. Not that there are a lot of children but we are the child and he says habed moving it around stands for me the world has created and we say similar to It's a personal connection. Back to that puzzle. From afar, Hashem appeared lee connection, closeness, intimacy. It's interesting just parathetically he notes that the word is the outer letters spell out lee that every person should feel of Israel that you are Lee you are mine let me put this into English one more time I'm going to do it just try it one more time we can't walk into Russashana thinking I'm one of how many billion people live in this world do you How many? >> Okay, I'm one of billions of people in this world. However many you want, you'll Google it. >> No, Hashem is interested in me. He's listening to me. We have to feel this personal connection to Hashem. The way the describes it in 23 through and 24, he says if a person goes outside and sees a beautiful sight and says Hashem, how beautiful are your works, Hashem? The whole world was worthy of being created for this person making this statement. I don't understand why you're not jumping out of your seats. That's what I don't understand. Rabosi, do you understand how the whole world is at our feet because Hashem is interested in our avot me individually? It doesn't matter that you said the same thing, but my ability to find the repon shah and here we come to a piece we've done many times of Rao in source 20 through 22. where he says, "Imagine the following scenario. A person standing on trial to every question about his behavior answers because everyone was doing it. Why do you think to follow? I didn't really think about it." Okay. But what compelled you to perform all the various that are credited you? Well, I prayed because that's what my parents taught me to do. I studied Torah because that's what my teachers taught me to do. And I wore a head covering since it's in filling because that's what people bought from me. And what were you thinking? I wasn't thinking at all. How can such a person who lacks any individuality stand in judgment? Hashem spoke the dro to each one of us. The call the voice of Hashem was different for every person. 22. Many people have no personal identity for they spend their entire lives in the company of others who in essence map out a way of life for them leaving them with no individuality whatsoever. In preparation for Russ when we will stand alone like the name Mum we must work on developing the individuality necessary for that Muslim judgment and that's why again I've mentioned and I will continue to mention Rabbi the state for Pis Burkowitz's uh what is it called >> a new approach to Russell Yeah, it's fabulous. It just came out in Hebrew. I gave it to my son-in-law. That's always dangerous when you give something to your son-in-law. He said, "Ema, this was outstanding. Every person should read it." >> Sh a new approach to Russium based on the teachings of Burkowitz, Rabbi Gin >> and Rabbi Corminick wrote it. a new it's a dear press a new approach for showing up kipper it's outstanding because again the point of that book is this and it develops it for us what is our goal in life am I here and again when I ask over and over again what type of life am I looking for I just want a life that you know I'll be healthy and I'll have money to support my kids. Vool voule. I remember my daughter asked me about a certain family member who doesn't have children and said I don't know why they work so hard. The only reason you make money is to support your kids. Okay, that was an interesting uh angle of life. Why am I here? What type of life do I want? And more importantly, and this is what we're talking about today, who am I who's going to live this life? That, my friends, is aspect number one, individuality. But then I'm moving now to 26. That's how you get through a on time. That's gum. Hashem looks at me individually. Me in all my meanness. Not meanness, meanness. I just want to make sure that was understood. Yeah. But then Hashem looks at me. So care. So there is that telescopic microscopic look at me. Are you living up to your potential? And simultaneous with that that's only the can do. He looks at me as part of the collective. [Music] at the same time that I have to be the best I can be. Here's the key. I also have to fit into the rubric of how Hashem envisions the world. The example that Rabbi Tats gives is like a bolt in your washing machine. Any of you have this? Your washing machine goes and you bring in and you're frustrated and it doesn't work. You bring in a repair man, right? No make tag here. A regular washing machine. Yeah. You bring in a repair man and he looks at it and he says, "This little piece got what? Whatever happened to it? How much does this piece cost? 10 shekels. Yeah. So, his service, by the way, was what? >> 300 shekels, >> right? Just to say hello to me. >> Yeah. You know the same repairman I do. Um, we have to be the best part we can be even though we're very little because the whole machine is based on us. cloud Israel needs us to be able to do it's called this is a key line we have individuality and then Hashem has a vision for the world there's a sura of the Adam fully of the entirety of who we should be. And each one of us has a little piece in that picture. And this brings us just before it brings us in 27 double squiggly 27. We have to look at two aspects in judgment. I have to live up to my potential for why I was created. How I and my what I'm doing impact What are the consequences of everything that I do? And that's the idea he says in 28 of the end of 29. Now says looks at everything we do and sees what is the effect of what we've done. Let me put this into English. Reim Freedellander on the Bay of Rashana and source 30. He says when you take a look at the Russashana ding the zikronos the prologue of each one has like Alen is a prologue for Malio Harites a prologue for chauff. The prologue for Zronos before we get to the 30im is Hashem remembers everything that happened in this world from the beginning of time until the end of time. And you you look at this and you say it's a little bit intense. God, could you just remember from last year to this year? Why are we going back what so many years? Listen to what he says. And I want us to think about this. When we dive it in the or really before we dive it in 30 in the arrow, it is incumbent upon every Jewish person to strive for his perfection. Aside from this individual responsibility, the general community of Kai Israel is duty bound to rectify the entire creation through the service to him during all the generations and to bring creation to its ultimate perfection. The completeness or perfection termed as gulma, the complete redemption is like one whole structure which is constructed and assembled from many stones. Every Jew has his own part, his own stone in the erection of this perfect building. It follows therefore that the perfection of the building which is being built by all the generations depends on each individual builder. Now hold on tight. If you're still sitting in this next line, then I give up. Every single deed of each individual person is judged according to its impact upon the past. In other words, the deed is judged to what degree it successfully continues and completes the avot of the forefathers and of the previous generations or shalom to what degree it has damaged that structure. the structure the past generations have rebuilt. The work of all the generations must be viewed as a chain stretching from the first generation to the last of which every generation and every individual person is a link. If one link is missing or damaged, the continuity of the chain becomes impaired. People tend to think incorrectly. Their deeds are relevant exclusively to themselves at this particular place in time. They do not realize their actions impact the entire creation. It's not fair. >> You have no control over that. >> No, you don't. But what you do have control over is how you are what? >> How you're able to >> That's it. That's all you're hold responsible for. You're not responsible for anything else. I find that intense enough. But maybe you don't. And we could differ on that. I I'm kidding with you. Yeah, you're right. But it's intense, isn't it? >> It's scary. >> Yeah, it is. It is. What we're really saying here today, and I'm happy that you're mentioning this, is we live almost like a I don't want to say a double life, but give me a better word. >> What is What would you say? >> A dual life. A dual life. I have to be the best surasa Adam I can be and simultaneously keep an eye on the fact that whatever I do doesn't just impact me it impacts the world but we are different >> right very good this separates us from the other the world Yeah, that'd be great. Thank you. Um because we're the captains of the ship. We're the pilot of the plane. >> I was hashem. >> Yes. So again, >> yes. So you know what? >> Yeah. Yes. So >> we have to be willing to submit our So that God Yes. >> Yeah. You're 100% correct. You're 100% right. >> Elaborate. So I confused here. What you're saying that we are now we must be willing to have him direct. >> Yeah. You're right. You are right. What we're playing here with is semantics of using the same imagery in two different ways. Clearly Hashem is the captain of the ship. Clearly, he's the run the show. What I mean by this is that our actions impact what's going on. In no way am I taking Hashem away. He's like the control tower. You know what I'm saying? That's directing really the buttons where it is. But we have to know this. Can I go on? >> Of course. >> Not you. But thank you anyway. But your point is well taken and I appreciate it and I'm glad that we mentioned it because no way I'm not I'm not bringing Shim out of the picture but I cut her off and it's not fair if I don't cut you off. >> So let's go on to second level and then we we'll take questions. Okay, >> here we go. I have five minutes on the clock. So let's use it well. If the first level is each individual is individual and we're looked at as part of this. The second level looks at this differently. Nebans alita 37 and 38. There are two different groups that approach Russash Shana drastically differently. Every person doesn't know what will be. We don't know what will be. Look at that pua last week. We don't know what will be. We don't know what will be. We don't know what will be. At the same time, Rebalah points out the Jewish people know they will always be exonerated and always be around. We're always here. The challenge is and this is what the baler speak about is that can you take who you are and there's no guarantee obviously in everything we're saying to the extent that you connect yourself to the cloud to be a person the cloud that people need that is a help in trying to be zakid I as an individual cannot stand but if I'm part of a group that I know will get through it. So I would like to as much as possible be what be connected to them. That's why 40 of this is very famous. We don't know where we're holding. as much as possible which mean you are a person that is involved in community projects whatever they may be community projects and as brings in source 40 it's such a galic line why was Hashem so harsh on stone and he says listen to this line he says no beginning second paragraph underline if you're not concerned about somebody else you have no right to live stone. All you cared about was yourself. You've lost it. And as Elopia points out in the which means if I'm asking for perasa from me, ask for perna for >> everyone else who needs it. And I'll tell you something my friends in our school is they put out every year uh an email give in names in various categories of soldiers various and they make a bookmark and they put the bookmark out by the men and the women so that in your master at different times you can what dur isn't that a brilliant idea it's so easy to implement because I'm not the only one who needs a b or c the more I dive in and connect with others it gives such a power aid to and B it makes me a cloud person. This by the way is out the town explains well how do you do stuck on money is mo this is one way d for somebody look around the room dab for somebody who needs this one needs a up this one needs this you go around the room and if you've been dabbing in your sh all year you could bet you you could go around to almost every single person and know at least you don't know everyone's needs but some needs you don't know their name Hashem knows who you're talking about that one in the blue hat they need their grandchild to have a shak hashem take care of that one and this is how he explains rice in 47 that back to that I'm in the double squiggly If we are among the people, then even if you're from afar, will be a means to go. You may be far, but if you know how to connect with others in the seabore, you're very close. And in fact, the Bali Muslers say you should always be somebody who has a lot of friends, be a seabboard type of person. Let me end with a story. Rabbi Cronhn brings the story in his um illuminated mi rasham kipper. There was a a fellow he calls him Ya it's a pseudony who went to school marti in Israel went through the army and then went off to the far east you know typical by the time he spent a few months there he had no aspect of Yiddish kite left in him he's drinking whatever they drinking Mumbai. What do they drink there? I don't know. In a bar at night and he hears a chauffeur and he's very startled. And then he hears it again and he says to himself, "Maybe that's a shaver for Mashiach. But I thought Mashiah was coming during the day." So he runs back to his hotel room, races up the stairs, opens the calendar and sees it was young and the he checked into it the you knowing there below the sofa throughout the area so that people should know the fast is over. He was so broken. How could he have not known that it was Yum Kipper? He takes the next flight back to Israel. He's been sitting and learning in col. But here's the punchline that Rabbi Crow brings that I want to make. We say in the Nissan tofad, what's the language? Kbo something. Okay, I'll take your word for it. which normally means that we all sign our own book in our own lives what we do. But a deeper meaning he says is there are many people who sign our book. There are many people who inspire us. He will never know who that rabbi was and the kabad rabbi has no idea what he did. We have to try to be people who are going to be inscribing people's books whether they're aware of it or not. That's our mission. Impact, inspire, just by being who we are, we can be a cloud person. We can be a person who impacts others. Yes, we're judged individually. At the same time, our judgment is so much different when we are part of the from afar. Hashem comes close. Matova.