Shmita and Bitachon - Parashat Behar - Rabbi Dovid Kaplan

98. So we were talking about uh uh the the idea. It's three lines from the bottom. Now you remember we spoke about two types of what the scroll translates it as a grieve. We talk about not cheating people in business. And then it says and that was and then uh uh in Zion is sonish says I mean talk about verbal torment and we're talking about the various forms of verbal torment. So there was an interesting case that came up. There was a uh a yeshiva bakar who uh uh there was a yeshiva bakar who was uh first of all the reason it's written here is it follows the business uh discussions of business is because in business sometimes people could actually get nasty. Never never had the pleasure but uh sometimes people get a little touchy especially if there's money on the line. Uh but there was a case of a baker from a certain firm home who was starting to go off the derek and one day he developed a cough. So he went to the doctor. The doctor was a firm guy. The doctor knew that he that it was you know just a bronchitis a routine bronchitis. But the doctor decided that you know for the good of the cause he told the bucker you know I don't know um this could be something very very serious. Um, I think you better I think you better go get it checked out. Uh, I think you better get the lung specialist. And the bucker got the the the the daylight scared out of him. And of course, as a result, he promised Hashem everything. And so I got back on the track. And then the question came up, was the doctor allowed to do that? Are you allowed to to scare use scare tactics? So they asked Zubberstein, who was one of the biggest posts. I thought he he was Revlash's son-in-law and married Revashi's daughter before she was lifting said absolutely not. Absolutely not. And what is his precedent? Why? You can't cause somebody needless worry. That's one of the kind one of the the the the uh categories of Dvorim is causing people needless worry. And because when you you're you're saying something which which which hurt which is it's it's uncomfortable for somebody. So he asked uh what do you call it? He he said where's the pre where is the precedent in the Torah for this? We actually have a precedent somewhere in Tanakh for this idea. And Rav Zilbered said, "You see that Bana who was the mother of Shul Anovi, she didn't have children and she had a co-wife named Pina and Pina tormented her." Like would ask one of her children to get her something and say, "Kana, I guess you haven't got kids to bring you anything, huh? Shame." And Kazal say she did it with the best of intentions to get Kana to Davin. And eventually Khana Davin then she had no in the meantime lost her children. And the gummer says because with the best of intentions you can't cause people pain. The best of intentions you can't cause people pain. There are times there obviously where you have to tell somebody off that sort of thing. But you know parents have to sometimes cause you know people once in a while have to say something something that isn't going to be popular but but to go in for with the here the doctor's intention was to get the kid and and it worked. It doesn't matter. The ends do not justify the means. Therefore that's that's a form of an ovarum and uh the the uh the uh so that that's that's the that's what we were speaking about yesterday. Now there was one other point here. Um yeah there's a a if what if somebody does insult you? What what's your reaction supposed to be? If somebody insults you somebody says something to you. So there is an idea of of a person a being mirror almidos just overlook it. Okay, they said it. I'm gonna let it go. I'm gonna let it go. So, let a saddle pass me. Not to respond. You are allowed if you're being embarrassed in public or somebody's really insulting, you are allowed to respond at a certain point. If you're really is you're being unjustifiably uh uh uh hurt or or or or somebody's uh somebody's picking on you, whatever it is, but it is meritorious not to respond. And not only that, the Gomorrah says there's a pik that says to erit albima pik says that hashem suspends the world in space nothingness. Ever wonder what's holding up the earth? Nothing's all there. It's just kind of there floating around. So on that of erit albima the go [clears throat] says that borus keeps the world suspended in space. In other words, he keeps the world in its existence in the merit of somebody who does not respond when there's a fight. Somebody who when there's a potential fight, somebody said something and if you respond, it's just going to escalate and you don't respond. Even if you're justified, that's the hardest thing. you're justified and you're justified in responding and you don't respond because you know that if I respond it's just going to make things worse. At that moment the world exists in your merit. [snorts] At that moment you're keeping the world in existence, right? And obviously when when the Gomorrah makes these statements, if that's the power of what you're doing, that means that what you're doing isn't easy because it's one of the most difficult things is to not respond, especially when you're when you're justified. They say they say if you're wrong and you give in, well, when you're wrong, you should give in. If you're right and you give in, that means you're married. [snorts] He laughs. Yeah. If you're right and you give in, you don't make an issue. I'm right, but you don't make it. You let it go. You just let it go. Get past it. You know, that's your expression, not mine. Get past it. Just get past it. We never used that expression getting growing up. Get past it. And if you use if you're if you're able to maintain you're able to to not respond, it's an unbelievable merit, but it's unbelievable difficult depending on your personality. But most people find it very difficult to not respond. I once did that on a bus. I I'm not proud of this. I was proud of the first part, but I wasn't proud of the I got on a bus. Then we're going back many years ago before I became a sadic. Uh we're going back many many years ago. uh one of the before I became one of the 36 righteous of the generation many many years ago. So I was I I got on the back of a bus. Now the bus to our neighborhood with in those days the bus driver had a puncher. You had to get up to the bus driver and he would punch punch punch punch. You know you punch your card punch punch punch. So I get on the back of the bus a packed packed like grease beef and it it just packed. And I get on the back of the bus and I'm holding I always whenever I would do that and the people did that all the time. You got on the back of the bus and made your way up to the bus driver. There are two doors over there. You made your way up to the bus driver. So whenever I would get on the back of the bus, I would make sure to be holding my punch card in my hand so nobody looks like I'm not sneaking onto the bus. And so I get on the bus and I'm walking I'm I'm I'm heading towards the the the front and the bus is packed and people are starting slowly but surely to get off. Finally, as the bus got into my neighborhood. I had a clear view. The bus driver looks in the rearview mirror. He says, "Why'd you get on the back of the bus?" Now, I figured to myself, he must have been able to figure this out. Uh if he understood the pack the front was packed, he should have been able to get there on his own. So I just he he says, "Why'd you get on the back of the bus?" So I just stared at him in the mirror like this. [laughter] I just stared at him. He said, "I asked you why'd you get on the back of the bus?" So I just I didn't respond. So a little bit was to torture him. I will admit that it was a little but I didn't want cuz what was I going to say? What? You don't know why I got in the back of the bus? Because the front of the bus was crowded. So he said to me a third time. I asked you why'd you get on the back of the bus? I said, "What happened? You had a fight with your wife before he left the house this morning in a bad mood and then he exploded. [laughter] No, I didn't have a fight with He just absolutely exploded. Why did I use that line? Cuz I heard somebody else say that to somebody else. I thought it was a good line. I I think I was in the bank and the guy was upset in the bank. And so I said, "What happened? You had a fight with your wife." So I couldn't wait for my [laughter] opportunity to use it. So it wasn't nice. I shouldn't have done it. That's many hundreds of years ago. But but at the end of the day, at the end of the day, the best response is no response. The best response is if somebody insulted you, don't respond. And the Gmorra even says that the best way to put if somebody I think if somebody the Gmorra says if somebody calls you a donkey, just wear the saddle. That's that's the way the Gmor puts. Somebody calls you a donkey, wear the saddle. And that'll put an end to it. The more you defend yourself, the more you're going to get the more the the more he's going to continue insulting you. Okay, that's the idea of Darium. Then it says um yeah two lines on the bottom. Keep my statutes and my laws and you'll dwell on the land in security. Now this is following the laws of the Torah is saying well keep the shmita laws and you'll stay in the land of Israel. What's the punishment for the Jewish people if they neglect when the same pieros and in other places what happens to the Jewish people if they neglect the laws of Shmita they go into gulus they go into exile if you neglect the laws of shmita the punishment for neglecting laws is exile what's the connection what's the connection why should we be exiled for okay so the basic connection should be fairly obvious there's a law of there are there the schmita laws relate to the land of Israel. You didn't keep the laws of the land of Israel. So you get thrown out of the land of Israel. That's that's the cause. That seems to be the most basic connection though. That's the most basic. You keep the land of see so leave the land of Israel. That seems to be the basic. But there's a much deeper idea. And the idea is and this goes back to the entire existence of the Jewish people. The fact that we're here today defies natural law. We shouldn't be here by natural law. There were much bigger nations than us. The Romans, the Greeks, the the the Holocaust, all the everything Jewish people going to happen to Jews through through history. By natural law, we shouldn't really be in existence. Number one, because there is what's called because God is supervising the running of the world. That's why we're here. But by natural law, we really shouldn't be here. It doesn't make any sense that those people are gone and we're still here. The Jews are still here. You know, the famous that thing for the Mark Twain has that famous uh uh he wrote a very famous little piece about the Jews and the you know he writes about how the Romans had gone and the Greeks are Mark Twain who wasn't Jewish and and and he writes what and I remember the end of it is what's the secret what's what's the secret of the Jews? How how did how do you demand it? The secret of the Jews is not such a secret. We're obviously being supervised in a very very special way. Sometimes things aren't so pleasant, but it's under supervision. If you ever read a Holocaust book, you know, they always read a Holocaust book analyzing uh uh analyzing uh uh why there's anti-semitism and so on. Those books are basically good to start kindling your Lagma Omar fire. That's what those books are worth, the analysis books. You want to read a good Holocaust book, read about people who survived the Holocaust and the miracles that happened to each one of them, how God was leading them through with all the difficulties and all the troubles, how they managed to survive. Then you see the hand when people say, "Where was God in the Holocaust?" People always say, "Whoa, great philosophical. Where was God in the Holocaust?" Well, first of all, God was right where German jury put him and German put him out at a picture. So God stayed out of a picture. So you leave the world if you have a if you have a sheep surrounded by 70 wolves and the shepherd happens to leave. So guess what's going to happen? The 70 wolves are going to rip the sheep apart. So when God is pushed out of the picture, so people say, "How could a holocaust happen?" Our our question is, "How could holocaust not happen?" That's the most natural thing is that a holocaust should happen because you got one sheep and you got 70 wolves. Well, what should happen? What would happen by natural law? The only reason it doesn't happen is because it's not running by natural law. Is because of course Roco is protecting us that it doesn't happen more often than it's happened in the past. Otherwise, it should happen all the time. You see, even today, I mean, you look at the news, no matter what's happening in the world, no matter what's happening, no matter how many Houthis and toothies are slaughtering each other, and no matter what's happening in I forgot the other the other countries where everybody's everybody's killing people, hundreds, thousands, million, doesn't matter. But some Jew builds a balcony on the West Bank that's on international news. Uh oh. You know the building the West Bank. Well, what happened? What's the focus? The focus is because that's natural law. That's natural law. Anti-semitism is very very natural. So, you know, by the way, all these efforts, it's useless. Like, oh, anti-semitism in England, you know, anti-semitism. We're going to have a a discussion with the government in Australia and that doesn't help. There's only one thing protecting us. So what happens in Israel? How do we survive here? Now let's think about this gentleman. Let's think about this rationally. We are right now there are 10 million people in Israel much more or less. It's about 10 million people. Of those 10 million people about three million are Arabs give or take. So you got about six, seven million Jews in Israel. Now, if you go to your right, left, up, or down, what are we surrounded by? We're surrounded by enemies all around us. There wasn't a place you could go right, left, up, and down. It doesn't matter where you go there. We're surrounded by Why are we surviving on the land of Israel? How did Jews even stay in the land of Israel? The answer is they stayed in Isra in Israel and we stay in Israel because it is beyond natural law. It's beyond nature that we're staying in Israel. It's beam. Oh, so what does Hashem say? Keepmita. Yeah, but that doesn't make any sense. What did Hashem promise when he keep that the land will produce? It'll produce beyond it'll break natural law. Oh, one second. You believe in natural law. You don't believe in natural law. So a guy who does not keep shmita, he obviously doesn't believe in natural law. So Hashem says, "Oh, you don't believe in natural law, so there's not going to be natural law keeping you in Israel." And therefore, you end up going into exile. And make up your mind. Either we're playing natural law, we're not playing natural law. No natural law. Guess there's no by Yeah. No. No. No. No. No. No. Beyond nature. If there's no beyond nature, then how are we going to stay in the land of Israel? The only reason we survive here is beyond beyond nature. And therefore the punishment for not keeping schmita is that the Jews go into exile because it's a natural result. The natural result is we should be thrown out of Israel. That's the natural result is we should be invaded and thrown out of course gives us beepers to take care of his mah. When's the last time in the history of the world there was a beeper? Remember that beeper thing? That was great. Okay. Now, when's the last time in the history of the world that happened? When's the last time in the history of the world one nation knocked out the other nation's air force while they were on the ground? Like happened in the Six-Day War? When's the last time that happened? When's the last time in the history of the world a nation that Jews came here in in in in 48, they created a state and in ' 67, they already had the best air force, veteran air force. And why is that? Is that natural? How'd that happen? How'd that happen? I mean, everywhere you turn over here, it's not it doesn't work by natural law. So, so I told you about the shekele, the money in the money in Israel. Israel's got the strongest economy in the world right now. Why? What have we got here? [laughter] You got a salty lake over here. What What have we got in Bisley? I mean, what do the major export of Israel? Iran exports oil. Israel exports Bisley. [laughter] I mean honestly it's not you know there are there are better play it doesn't make sense it doesn't make any sense and that's why co says it doesn't make sense and it doesn't make sense that the lands were going to produce you don't believe that then it's not going to work this way and out you go now take a look at the next how how this plays out in pseudute test top of the next page the earth will you you yield its produce by the way the word pre which in Israel they call fruit. But per really means produce. You will eat the satiation and you will dwell in security on a land. Over here's a promise the Torah is making. [snorts] You will dwell in security. Meaning that even though you've got bumper crops, well, what does bumper crops do? Bumper crops that attracts people who would like to get at those bumper crops. And the Torah is telling you, you got nothing to worry about. You got nothing to worry about. you're you'll have bumper crops, but you'll dwell in security provided you keep the laws of Shmita. And by the way, when the Jewish people went up for the three for the for the uh uh the three regulan for the three holidays. So what happened? They abandoned their borders. How do you like that? All men on Jerusalem. So what happens to all the borders over there? Well, the borders are left unattended. So what does the deed say? That the the Torah itself promises nobody's going to invade your land. Borders are open. Nobody's going to invade. So there were the the bedroom says there were snakes that got the enemies like what what kind of what kind of strategy is that? Everybody mass in Jerusale. They won't even let people go to meron now. Everybody mass in Jerusalem mass in your three times a year. Abandon the family four times because people go to um also but three times a year you know abandon your family and go into your life. What about the borders? We promise you. Hashem says I promise you it'll be okay. So it says security. Now pay attention very carefully to the to the uh the order here. If you say what will we eat in the seventh year? We're not going to plan to gather our harvest. I will command blessing in the sixth year. and and it's going to produce for three years. It's going to produce for three years. You'll have a bumper crop in the sixth year. So, you won't have to worry about the seventh year. Now, anybody got a problem with the sequence over here? Let's read this again. In Piku test, it says you keep the laws. Put the top say for 700. Now, pay attention very carefully. You have to ask me a question. Now it says the land will produce and you'll dwell in security and you'll eat to satiation. Then it says and if you ask what are we going to eat in the seventh year? You got nothing to worry about because the sixth year is going to make a three-year bumper crop. Anything bother you about that? >> You already said that he's going to give you food and what what are we gonna if you said what are we going to eat? I'll give you three. >> Right. He already said he'll give us >> said that he's going to give us. So what what what happened over here? Question number one. Question number two, there's a second question here, which is well then what's the big hack about not working the field in the seventh year if you already see your bumper crop from the sixth year. >> The sixth year, the sixth year, the sixth year is going to have a three-year bumper crop. >> So you're going to say, "What are we going to eat in the seventh year?" All right. If you ask that question, then I'll give you a bumper crop in the sixth year. on page 700. They pass over there the should beh >> the uh so it says here I'm going to give you three years. I understand in the sixth year you're going to have a bumper crop for three years. >> So then what are you worried about the seventh year for and if when is it going to happen that you get that bumper crop? Only if you start hawking about h what are we going to eat? It's like the kids at home there's nothing to eat in this house. You open up a refrigerator, you got every you got more food. You got more food than than the Jews consumed 40 years in the desert. And and you got there's nothing to eat. There's nothing to eat. Nothing to eat. So you're going to say, "Well, what are we going to have in the seventh year?" So I I don't understand what's going on. It doesn't make any sense. Here are the problems. So what the proportions say is like this. If you go into it with the right attitude, you're going to have crops, you'll eat and you'll be satiated. The ultimate blessing, the ultimate blessing is to eat and be satiated with what you've eaten. If you're lower level and you challenge, you're not challenged, you have a right, let's say, oh, you're told about the year, then you come along and say, oh, but what are we going to eat during the seventh year? or if you're already at that level, then I'll give you a bumper crop in the sixth year, which you will see. But what does that include? That includes working, harvesting, storing, you're going to have to exert some energy. Now, had it been the other way without asking, you would have just accepted it without asking any questions. So then you would have a small amount. The small amount would satiate you and you'd be able to spend the rest of your time doing something productive like learning. Ah, now you're asking. So you're not on that level. You're on the level that you're a little nervous and worried. Okay. But at least you're willing to do it. I'll give you a bumper crop in the sixth year that's going to last for three years. Well, that's an awful lot of grain. Now you got to harvest it and you got to store it in the silos and you got to do all sorts of work with the grain. That's because we're not on the low on that's a lower level. That's a lower level to ask what's going to happen is a lower level. That means that a Torah Jew is meant first of all let's talk let's get something clear for a second. What's the definition of you always hear about this word? We trust in God. What is the clear definition of a person who has bet analogy? >> What about short analogy? What's the def first? Give me the definition. >> Reliance. >> That's what the word means. Relying on God. How do you know if somebody is truly relying on God? >> Good attitude. >> What's the attitude? >> Gamuva. >> Gamuva is part of the attitude. It is Gamuva is an indication of the attitude. Depends how you say Gamuva. There are different ways of saying Gamuluva. There's Gamsuva like Uncle Mike. There's Gamuluva, right? So it depends how you say gamul tova what indic and by the way never say gamul tova to somebody else somebody bends down and pick up a pen and smacks his head on the table you don't say to the guy oh and you don't say gamulattova because then he'll hit you with a chair and say gamsul toa and then you'll bang him with a hammer and say gamsula you have a gamsul toa don't don't say don't be a philosopher at other people's expense don't don't don't go don't go don't don't don't don't be gamsula it'll it'll be fine it'll be don't worry it'll be fine yeah Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Don't don't What's the truth? What's the definition? Defines the duties of the heart defines are you truly of is based on the what he calls the sanesh of the do you have peace of mind? Are you calm? That means you're on your way to an appointment. You're on your way to the airport. You have to get to a doctor. You have to get to a wedding. Could be your own. And you're stuck in New York traffic and you're not even in New York. That's an amazing thing. You're in Cincinnati, but somehow you're stuck in New York traffic. There's, I guess, overspill. So, you're stuck in traffic and you got to get somewhere. There's a meeting where you could be making a lot of money or losing a lot of money. Now, you're stuck in traffic. And you committed yourself to the big shot that you're going to be there on time. Now, I'm stuck in at that moment. Are you stuck? Did you do something careless or reckless? Did you do anything irresponsible? No, you didn't. If you did anything irresponsible, don't bl don't blame God. When you do things, if you leave five minutes before a meeting that's supposed to take, you know, you you need to drive a half hour and you meet you leave you leave uh five minutes before, then then it's your fault. That's not Hashem's fault. Hashem didn't do you did it to yourself. But you like took a precaution. You left with extra time and a 18-wheeler jacknifed across the highway blocking traffic for miles around and you just and your blood pressure hasn't gone up what I means you have tropha. I realize that this is for the best. This is obviously for the best. when a dentist starts drilling and it hurts. It hurts. But I understand very well that the dentist is doing, depending on who the dentist, that the dentist is doing what needs to be done. I don't like the pain that Hashem is giving me. But the dentist himself, I'm fully confident that he's doing exactly what he has to do, except once in a while when he elbows me in the face as he's reaching for something. But but I'm fully confident that what he's doing in my mouth is the right thing. I don't like it and I don't enjoy it, but I know it has to be done. That's the confidence we're supposed to have in our ship. I told you I think my my dentist was a former archaeologist because somehow the he's a retire the the deeper he digs the happier he is. So, but but at the end of the day at the at the end of the day the the the the I have confidence in him and I know that what he's doing is because it's got to be done. I don't enjoy it but I have never I don't even think to myself he's doing something unnecessary and when somebody goes through a little bit of a difficulty true is I have absolutely does I understand this is for my best it's my best needs what's what's he to get upset about it hurts doesn't mean it doesn't hurt and if a guy bumps his head on the table or a guy or or or something somehow some somebody suffers pain it hurts nobody says it doesn't hurt by the way Gamsu leva. Gamsu letova doesn't mean it doesn't hurt. Gamuva doesn't mean it doesn't hurt. Gamula simply means I know it's not wasted. I know that this is for some there was some beneficial purpose here. But at the moment it doesn't mean it doesn't hurt. Doesn't mean it's not annoying. Soon means the first guy says keep don't go to work. I want you're unemployed for a year. Okay. He sleeps well at night. That's true. The next guy is not quite on that same level. The next guy goes, "But what are we going to eat?" >> What's that? >> Amuna is just the basic belief in God. Amuna generally believes amuna generally describes the basic belief that there's a God is the running of the day-to-day running. That's generally the the breakdown. But a guy who says, "But but what are we going to eat? What are we going to eat?" Okay, that's still a very high level because I'm willing to keep the other people won't keep at all. If I'm willing to keep it, I am asking I think it's a legitimate question. I think it's a legitimate question. Didn't you ever have, you know, a husband or wife, you know that trust me, just trust me. Photo just trust me. I said, I'm going to do it. Just trust me. By the way, that works in one direction. That's generally onedirectional. That's when the wife asks the husband to go shopping. She's allowed to ask two or three times, did you remember to put tomatoes on the list? And are you going to remember to pick up little little little slimy from the dentist at 3:00? She's she's got the right to double to double check on you. A husband, can you imagine a husband walking into the kitchen on air of Shabas? Did you remember to make the kogle? You know, you're going to get don't don't never double check on him. By the way, if you ever see your wife like this with her hands on her hips, that means you're in trouble. And if it got there in a big loop like that, that means you're in big mucho trouble. And if there's any exit, try to get there as fast as possible. That's what that's what the big loop means. And if she ever uses your full name, [laughter] Bin Yum and David Kap like you're a four-year-old she uses your full name then you know what you know you know anything will ask for water boarding because that's about the easiest you're going to get off over here. [laughter] So so that's what is means total relaxation total. It's listen we're talking about very high levels here. Now, the Torah says in the sixth year, you're going to have a bumper crop. If you're at that level, you're going to have a bumper crop. I don't understand. So, if you have bumper crop, so what does it take to keep shmita? That's a very interesting insight into human nature. It's a bumper crop. What's so what does it take to keep shmita? So, imagine a guy I think we could use shabas as a better as a concrete tangible example. A guy on Friday has a store, place is packed with customers. He's taken in cash. He's taking in cash faster than a than a than than a casino. And now he's told every day Sunday, Monday to he's making making fistfuls of cash. And I say, "Okay, say tomorrow you can't work. People want to come to the store and it's a good store and it's making money. I may lose customers. Close the store." That's a test. That's a test. You just had a bumper crop in the sixth year. Well, then I'm likely to have one in the next year also. Walk away. Sometimes walking away from the money is as hard as m is as hard as anything else. >> There's money to be made over it. Walk away. Now, why did the Jewish people at the Yamsuf why were they upset when Mosher Rabainu took away from the Yamsuf? They're collecting free booty from the Mitsim. Gold, silver, they're getting what? Rich. Walk away people. They walked away bitter. But you're loaded already. There's more. There was more to be made. People make life decisions based on we can't move. It would be better for our kids. It would be better for our marriage. It would be better for a lot of things. Would be better if we would leave this city and move somewhere else. Yeah, but we're making money here. We have a family business here. I'm making my pernosa over here. That becomes the Isn't that true? That becomes the determining factor of where am I making money? And now you're being told close it off. you had a bumper cap in the sixth year. That itself is a test because in your own mind you think well if I had a good year in the sixth year I may have a better year in the next year. I had a guy told do you remember the uh the savings and loan there was a s in the 80s the savings and loan scandal. I don't know exactly exactly what happened. You remember that there was a savings and loan scandal in the 80s in the in the 80s. I don't know what people were people were making money. I had a guy I had a guy who told me uh um he he he he was a lawyer who made a lot of money in the savings alone thing. And I once asked him how much money he made because he he was he was already he was he said he had one really good year where he had to write out a check to the United States government for seven figures >> back in the 80s. >> Back in the 80s. Yeah. He had to write he had to write a check to the United States government for seven. That's could you I I can't guess how much money he must have made. He must have made $45 million that year, right? If he's writing out a check for his seven figures. Not only that, he he called his he told me he called his father up. He said, "Dad, I may have to leave the country. I don't think I could write a check like that." >> And that's with all if and it wasn't the only year he had other good years also. So, so this that itself becomes a test. Okay. Now take a look at a very interesting insight to human nature. Um take a look at Puk. Um skip on ahead to Puk and hey. Now the T is going to talk about Sedaka page 702. When your brother gets poor, it's 702, five lines from the top. Your brother becomes poor. How does this a funny turn of phrase? How does the arts go translate? In his means falter in your proximity. That means he's around you. 702 five lines from the top. You have to support him. whether he's a convert or a citizen and he shall live with you. That means keep him alive. Now, you'll notice first of all, we're talking about either lending or giving money to a poor man. Why does the why does the Torah put this over here from the word support him? Why does it what's the connection to what we've been learning about up until now? Because what was it all about up until now? All about now a poor man comes to your door says I'm not doing very well. So what should you do? Turn to the poor man and say just have don't worry strengthen your say no no no no no no no no that's for you. That's gamulves for yourself. When the poor man comes to you, pull out the cash. When the poor man, don't play on him. To the contrary, you have bet that Hashem will respond. That way, after you give, then you'll get reimbursed. Don't tell him to have give him food and give him money. Now, you'll notice if we translate the word, now listen carefully. If we translate the words literally, what does it mean? What does it really mean? translating it literally in Hebrew, you shall take hold of him. If wanted to say you shall support him, it should would sayo you shall strengthen him. It doesn't say that. It says, which literally translates as you shall take hold of him. What does that mean? Take hold of the poor man. What does that mean? What does that mean? Take hold of him. Strangle. >> Strangle him. Oh, that'll that'll put an end to his poverty. Yeah. Why would I want to strangle him? Hey, buddy, come here. [laughter] No, we're not looking to strangle anybody. Why does it say you're right? That's what the words literally mean. Say the answer is the gor says more than what the rich guy does for the poor guy, the poor guy does for the rich guy. It's like the people who support Torah. What does it say? It is a tree of life. It doesn't sayo. >> It doesn't say it's a tree of life for those who support it. It says it's a tree of life for those who take hold of it. That means who's doing what for whom? The rich man for the Torah or the Torah for the rich man? It's the rich man who supports Torah. that Torah is giving him justification for his wealth. Don't want to support Torah? What do you need money for? You want to support Torah? What? Hashem could just as easily take it away. So when a rich man once came to Rosh Damon and said to Rosh Damon, how come we need so many collals? So Rosh Damon said, "How come we need so many rich people?" Never had so many rich Jews in history like he got now all over the place. Not only million, billionaires, billionaires, literally billionaires. So her statement said the guy, "How come we need so many rich people?" So the guy was quiet. So he said, "We need a lot of rich people in order to support the colossals. If we'd have less colossals, maybe we'll need fewer rich people." The guy said, "Okay, okay, okay." Writes out the check, you know, let's let's not let's not play that. Let's not play that game. So the same thing when it comes to the poor man. You're giving to the poor man. The way sodaka works is like this. We're told in the Torah that you're allowed to give. It's not in the Torah. The Torah says you have to give sodaka. The limit is is 10. You have to give 10%. The limit is 20%. You can't make yourself poor. Now, how does this work? And the gor says to tithe it. And he uses a double terminology for which the gor says tithe it in order to become rich. there tithe it nor that you become rich and from which the Gomorrah learns out that if you give 20% you become rich now how does this work the answer is like this when God gives a when God gives somebody money so the example would be let's say God gives me $100,000 a year and I give away 10%. Now, God needs poor people to receive money. He's looking for agents. I'm his agent. I'm giving away $10,000 a year. God says, "I like your attitude." Next year, he gives me another $10, $100,000. And this time, I decide, you know what? Let's roll the dice. I'm going to give 20,000. I'm going to give 20%. So, I give 20%. God says, "Oh, that's good, good, good, good. I've been waiting for somebody like you." The next year, he gives me $400,000. $400,000. I give $80,000. That gives 20%. Guy says, "Wow, you're a star." So the next day he gives you a million bucks. So the guy looks at a million like say, "Okay, 200 200,000. That's a that's a lot of scratch. You know, I think I'll cut it down to 150. I'm bad bad." The next year God says, "All right, you're only getting 750 this year. 750. I had a bad year. Last year I made a million. This year I made 750,000. I had a bad year. I should have such a bad year. Had a I had I had a bad year. So I'm going to cut it down to again 10%." God said, "Oh, no, no, no. That's not what I wanted. Okay. So, but you're back to 100,000. The more you give, that's why somebody once said guy walked into the post office and he said he want to send the send the package. So, the lady weighs the package. He says, "No, you're going to have to put on more stamps. It's too heavy. You need more stamps on the package." Said, "More stamps going to make it heavier." [snorts] [laughter] >> Split hand. >> Yeah. It doesn't make any sense. Well, the right. That's why says you want to salt if you want your to preserve your money salt it sorry if you want to salt your money which means what preserve your money decrease it you salt your money by decreasing it what does that mean by giving the more stuck you give that'll preserve your money works against this is all the same thing with it works against you don't lose out by giving sodaka It works against works against natural law. It all works against natural law. So So here the poor man comes to you and the Torah is saying now last point about this when it comes to for ourselves we're supposed to do the minimum person is only supposed to do let's say we need parnasa work the amount of time that is accepted in your society to work. You're an accountant, you have to work 10 hours a day. You're a lawyer, you have to work 10 hours a day. You're a teacher, you don't have to work at all. You're a uh what do you call it? You're you're you're a dentist, you have to work 10 hours a day. If you're going to work 15 hours a day, it's not going to help you because then you're trying to push it. And then even if you earn more money on your paychecks, Hashem will take it away for you with broken washing machines. But when it comes to somebody else, we go above and beyond for somebody else. We have to do pretend that we have to work 20 hours a day if we have to. We don't have at somebody else's expense. That means if I'm trying to do something for myself, I have to have Hashem is going to help me. I do the minimum necessary hishadus for somebody else. I run myself ragged trying to get money for him. For myself, I don't run myself ragged. I go to work. Hopefully, that'll be enough for me. >> In order to make more money, to give more, >> to give for somebody else to collect. Let's say you're collecting for somebody. You go around collecting by people. >> Oh, okay. >> Let's say you're collecting for a cause, an important cause. When you're for others, >> you run yourself ragged collecting for yourself. You don't run yourself ragged. That's the line of not on other people's expense. the other person that he has to have his own bon when we're focused on other people. We have to work at run ourselves on ourselves. We have to have and it's very important not to have not have at other people's expense. Sometimes people forget that have at other people's expense keep at our level. All right, we'll continue tomorrow with with >> double we have a double header by the way. Double header this week. >> What happens if you give more than 20%. As the old saying goes, it should be your worst ara but kazal instituted not to give more than 20%. So we don't give more than 20%. Kazal said not so we have to we have to do unless the person is mega rich. >> Unless the person is mega rich. >> Thank you. Good. All right.