The Hundred Minus Two and The Secret to Eternal Life with Rabbi Aaron Dovid Poston

foreign [Music] welcome home to Torah a warm a very warm welcome home to Torah so before we begin I just want to make the the usual statements I always make and that is we're using the clear car as the basis for this discussion I want you to know this is quite intensive I mean if you really are working with us the Hebrew and I do suggest you try to learn Hebrew Down Below in the link in the description box there's a link where you can find the Hebrew sheets and follow along we really want you to learn Hebrew we want you to get the ideas but we're using the clear card as I mentioned uh so it's quite intensive this is like a workshop to a certain extent to a great extent I want to thank those who have contributed to the Crescent Fund um I want you to know where artist Kelly mitzvot is a lot of reward uh you guys are going to receive I just want to give you an idea already from many of the people that received uh we'll call these envelopes of vouchers to buy food for the holidays we had some people who actually just cried and they were just so overjoyed and told us that this really made their uh their holiday so I want you to feel that and know that and um we actually have reached 98 of our goal okay so that is really uh that's that's a big that's a big step already we have a few days left and the truth is even if you want to give and continue to give we will find people people will find us actually who um who who need assistance I want to mention the fusion the learning tonight should be towards the Refuge Ben Rifka and I want to make another special mention that a generous donation was made by Mark and Hannah Hoffman in a loving memory of their parents Hannah's parents are Hirsch benona and svas David and Mark's parents as Israel Ben and Ella bashmuel and they should have an Elise and shama through the scoot of our learning okay so we're impartial the week before the Shabbos before Rosh Hashanah and the themes the themes from the last few weeks and especially this is a build up towards Rosh Hashanah we'll call it uh you'll you'll see hang in there um judgment judgment so we'll start with the first verse on our page it's in Deuteronomy chapter 29 verse 9. you were all standing this day foreign now not just not just you all of you and then there's a whole long list we're not going to Greed the rest of the verse because we're going to focus in just on those three words alone you are standing here today you are standing all of you today so interestingly enough impartius kisava which was last week's Parsha the clear the the the curses we spoke about this and if you want to go into a little bit of an introduction to what we're going to talk about tonight already you can listen to last week's uh sure because I did touch upon what we're going to talk tonight in length I I talked about it briefly at the end of last week's partial and he asked the question is the truth is he didn't ask it the clear car is not asking it he's quoting the midgetstan kuma in close proximity following immediately after the curses and in the it mentions because it had been that the Jewish people had just right they heard the hundred the hundred curses minus two the question is who speaks like this who speaks like this and it must be a reason it's not for nothing that the language is a hundred curses minus two I mentioned yesterday almost everybody speaks about these 98 curses and now aside from the the 98 curses or the 100 minus two this is important the actual language is important we also heard about 49 curses that are in Leviticus Taurus kohanim in chapter 26. actual 28 I'm sorry in chapter 26 Leviticus now according to this midrustan Kuma when we heard these 98 curses our faces turned pale some want to translate as green but the idea was that it was overwhelming I mean what were we saying that we turned pale we were saying oh my gosh who could ever live who could ever survive we're surely going to be decimated aren't we now he does say I and call anusa Rashi see all of the new sock of Rashi and I believe the new sakarashi wants us to see would be a number three in the English Source sheets which is Deuteronomy 29 verse 12. if I'm not mistaken let's just read verse 12 a second in order to establish you these days is people that he will be your God and he spoke to you as he supports your forefathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob in order that you will be maintained you will stand up right in English it says in order to establish you this day Hakeem it's more than just being established it's survival that you will lit you will continue to to live you will continue to exist just as Hashem has promised and I want to go into what I underlined see other people when they sin they don't usually last right when people are cursed you don't really okay that this Rashi let's just read it since he promised not to exchange you for another people he's going to have you in existence he must ensure your faithfulness in him and he will be your God since God has given you his word and also wants your forefathers not to exchange their offspring for another Nation just listen to the words Hashem is going to establish not just establish maintain you keep you around he will not exchange their offspring for another Nation therefore he ensures your faithfulness to him by binding you through these Oaths these are Oaths that we have a covenant that we have entered with God now so as not to provoke him to anger because he cannot separate himself from you there is this unbelievable connection between the Israelites and God now what does Rashi continue to say why is parciousness of him juxtaposed to the curses in kisavo because when Israel heard these 98 curses as delineated in pitavo which is departure before besides or aside from the 49 curses stated in Leviticus 26 verse 14-38 they turned pale and what did they say who can possibly endure these but you know what not only did Hashem promise he did it through Moses Moses actually this this partial attempted you are standing here today after all said and done you guys worshiped the golden Kathy that other sins in the desert and yet you're still here yes truth be told when you commit certain sins you should be destroyed and yet you're still here listen to what he says therefore Moses began to appease them you are standing this day you still exist before Hashem this is 39 40 years later you're standing before the Lord um I think that's the only part I want to read right now because we're going to get to the other part of Rashi and I don't want to give too much away okay so let's go back into the clear card where we left off Kanye schmuck homeless there actually is a place here and I want you to get the question he says there's place to ask such a great question the question is I don't understand God gave all these curses if you're going to do these things you're basically going to be able to be destroyed well that's the question and here you are today you're not going to be destroyed we're we're trying to see the actual uh details how Moses is almost almost seemingly allegedly speaking out of two sides of his mouth number one he's the one right through God he's the one who said these curse are going to befall us and yet he's saying that the curses or the full effect don't seem to you guys will still be around you're not going to be destroyed him you know what you guys have not been destroyed until now he and he's giving these we're called tantruming it's a consolation to a certain extent the Fisher because still had not become the full measure maybe the truth is you didn't you didn't sin that bad but we know we did but yet the curses never came into effect the full curse had not been fulfilled now if that's the case many times we angered Hashem while we were in the desert vigilo ashma and we only increased our guilt at you royum the Colossus to truth be told we really should have we were certainly fit to have received all those curses and yet we're still there nevertheless Hashem in his ultimate mercy and kindness nevertheless Hashem did not destroy did not wipe out did not commit total Destruction to the Jewish people for all their sins now if that's the case Turn the page if that's the case Moshe katav lehem star the show Ro emo I'm not sure how best to translate this but basically Moses was sending out like an IOU or maybe a get out of jail free card in other words there's this contradiction on some levels and it was for not they never came to be all of the worst curses never came to be the truth is now listen to this in truth the Jewish people were not as afraid of them as maybe they should have been um and they feared that wouldn't go up on them all of those colors what could they say this is what they could say you know what we already did and they have the whole list they check it off this sin that's in this and that sin how many sins do we do below and you know what we didn't get pounced we weren't ambushed by all of these curses gamish mosha even Moses himself is promising us right as if he's talking out both sides of his mouth that if we would continue to sinura that even the worst things wouldn't even come to us so it's a little bit of a dilemma right you have the the schlier the agent of God telling you and this is from the word of God that the worst possible things would happen you would be totally destroyed and yet you're still standing here today and Moses himself is giving them how would you say consult consolation he's giving them consolation that the worst is not going to happen now aim Kane if that's the case awesome it really seems that Moses is giving you two very contradictory messages remember Moses originally gave to them the right what the consequences of their actions were called curses so the Jewish people have a healthy fear and prevent themselves from sinning so much but then later in our mix partia he's certainly consoling them he's certainly speaking to their hearts basically saying that even if you're going to be the worst Sinners you will not be destroyed on behalf of these curses that will come about now if you might say you know what the colors they've come to be all right they're going to happen but you know what we will not be wiped out if you convince yourself okay the worst can happen but it's not the worst right we're not going to be wiped out entirely all right cover because remember Moses is the mouthpiece of God and we've already been promised by Hashem himself that the worst won't happen and where do we see it in Viagra truth is Deuteronomy is Moses's own words that were accepted by Hashem whereas vayikra God spoke through Moses's throat so in a certain sense what we heard of the Iqra go to chapter 26 verse 44. you'll find that on number four on this English or sheet I actually brought down 45 too but look at number 44. but despite this while they are in the land of their enemies right after you're hearing all of the curses in or most of the curse already in chapter 26 of Leviticus you hear that no matter what even while you're eggs out from your land you're in the land of your enemies God says I will not be just so disgusted with them I won't despise them the local out team I won't reject them to destroy them to annihilate them so you really do hear I know Moses just a mouthpiece but nevertheless Hashem himself did say it now that's going to be like the first question we're just laying the groundwork with questions number one so far is there a s outright contradiction is this the clolos have the effect of a total Annihilation and yet there's this consolation that it will never happen or it certainly didn't happen until now and they certainly did some of the worst sins question two the old question why were they not like in shock why were they not totally Disturbed Meaning they didn't turn green apparently from those 49 clolos that were mentioned in Leviticus that certainly had uh you know when you like reading the newspaper and you're hearing all these horrible things certainly enough to to disturb you here you're talking about the word of God coming down straight through Moses the most horrible consequences and yet they didn't turn green then so what what is it about this and that the truth is there is many answers one one particular answer I heard is that in in Leviticus you actually have some Happy Endings over here kisavo you don't but nevertheless yeah right nevertheless there's another question and this is a just check out the language remember I mentioned that hazal used a language of a hundred minus two last week I mentioned that their opinions there were 90 Acres there's opinion there's a hundred curses and yet the actual language that hazal uses a hundred minus two who talks like that so look at the language just say it right say it like it is 98 what do you need to to play around with the numbers of a hundred minus two okay Derek memthe right just like you say there were 49 you didn't say 50 minus one so why are you telling me here 100 minus two another question he asked now this is the part of the majority that I don't think I read and also Rashi also mentioned it let's go back into either the mejustina I think it's towards the very end if you go to page three um it's the top the part I didn't read we were standing here today just as today it says what's the word mean we talked about this several times means the day now what is the day it's the orbit of the Sun so it could mean the Sun or it means the orbit of sun being it starts dark right you get up 5 30 4 o'clock whatever it is and it's dark and then it becomes light so that's what a day is like it starts dark and it becomes light just as today literally the day sometimes I don't know why they translate this way I would say it's always dark and then it becomes light but they translate as sometimes darkens and sometimes lightens so too it is with you although you have Darkness the Holy One blessed me is going to shine on you with the light with an eternal light now this is going to be basically a quote from Isaiah 60 chapter 60 verse 19. but before we get to that we're talking about in other words if it happens now today so today always begins right it's darkest before the dawn begins with darkness and then becomes light but the the the Dan comb is saying that this is going to happen to you in the future and says in Isaiah chapter 60 verse 19 for the Lord shall be your everlasting light or Olam that will be something in the future and when when will that be when you will become one group interesting um as it says in Deuteronomy 4 chapter 4 all are alive today now I just want to just stop for a second if you have a bunch of sticks and you try to break those sticks it's almost impossible each stick could be broken individually but when you have a group of sticks together it's it's makes it very difficult it's almost impossible the Jewish people when we stick together it would be impossible to break individually God forbid we could be broken listen to what he says according to the universal custom if one takes a group of reads will he be able to break them in one stroke explanation point but if he takes them one by one even an infant can break them so also you find that Israel was not redeemed or will not be redeemed so they become one group it's in Jeremiah chapter 50 verse 4 in those days at that time says the Lord the children of Israel they and the children of yehudah shall come together now you can talk about it in other terms whether even those the imagery of the sticks is certainly apropos in terms of the terms of the prophecy when they are united we shall welcome the face of the divine presence I find that amazing but the clear car has a little bit of a problem he asked the question is where do you have the concept of the future I get the word which is used in our verse right is somehow starting out dark and then getting light but where do you have the word achieve what is this about some future prophecy or future um being totally enveloped with God's light let's hear what he says just like there is this illumination for you today and then it says so too in the future right that's what you just read so he asked the question even the medrish where did the measures get this notion about some future event s in fact where did Moses get all of the words that he said at least in this respect at this point the clear car is now going to give us his answer and he begins by saying hanira Lo marbazan it certainly seems that this is what you could say because all of the different curses that were mentioned in Leviticus chapter 26 Luba parsha's kitavo as well as Deuteronomy chapter 28. there is a space there is a place within all of those curses whether it's the 98 whether it's the 49 for someone who is so I'm going to use the word rebellious he uses the word uh heart a stiff neck right so stiff-necked so rebellious to remove from himself any let's say God Consciousness any type of awe of God fear of God from before him and actually make justifications for himself Making Peace not a real peace a false peace mov he's he wants to feel good but he knows he's doing the wrong thing and there's consequences but he somehow will justify it to himself and you know what he's going to do in fact that he's going to continue to sin he's going to levage he's going to seek salvation he's going to look for alternative alternative ways of dealing with this this turmoil inside to try to get some peace ma right some kind of Salvation through personal schemes through personal efforts to avoid that relationship what do we mean exactly like what happened in the time of the flood he brings down as an example this is one example it's going to be other basically let me just fill you in so if for example God's going to bring a flood and Noah is building this big Ark you know what I don't have to do truva I'll just build my own little boat or God says you know you act bad I'm going to bring a a plague of no rain or locusts and you're gonna all your crops will be destroyed so you say you know what no rain I'll just go buy water from Turkey right I'll go buy and put water from Jordan so what God's not going to send me water that's okay I can deal or all my crops are destroyed we'll just order from from Egypt we'll get tomatoes and cucumbers from Egypt okay you know what it says over there now the truth is you have to go to job uh 24 18 to see what hazard to say in job 24 18 it says his light upon the face of the water crummy their portion he is light upon the face of the water their portion in the earth is cursed he does not turn by the way of The Vineyards Rashi says when the righteous men such as would rebuke all the people tell them to do truth I mean like 120 years they would say to them you know what the response from these evil people don't worry we're light enough we can certainly swim on the on the top of the water or we have the materials we can make our own little boats our little kayaks our little I don't know whatever you want to say our little like canoes and and we can float no big deal in other words this is man justifying I understand there's a God and he's got all these you know he's in control of Nature and he's going to get me but you know what I know how to deal right you're smarter than God okay so the clear car is giving us that quote yeshlanosphinos catanos Carlos you know we have these small light boats they're certainly able to float and Keep Us Alive what do we have to worry about Los Angeles so too this is what the Jewish people not shouldn't say the Jewish people some a few hopefully just a handful of these very stiff-neck people that said the same thing Derek Marshall here's an example like in Deuteronomy chapter 28 verse 23 it says your skies above you will be like copper so there's going to be I imagine this means and we'll see the Rashi that we're not going to get a lot of rain right the skies are going to be looking like copper and the earth below you like lion like iron sorry the artist barzel now if you go through that Rashi he explains the truth is what it says in Leviticus is is a very similar language but it's the opposite see if you just check it out it says um I shall make your skies like iron it's not it's some Leviticus 9 26 19. I'm gonna make your skies like iron as opposed to the copper and your earth like copper in our parshit says I'm going to make your earth like iron so basically if you go through that rash you'll see that Moses was actually minimizing it again consoling them that it's not going to be that bad okay but the point here is that basically you look above your own head and you see a dry sky but guess what you're gonna say okay it's dry above me it is dry above the land of Israel but it's raining you know halfway across the world or you know in another country I'll just go there and get water listen to what he says mashma based on that verse that's specifically the color of the sky above your head um but not necessarily in other countries it's gonna rain or let's just say it usually rains somewhere in the world right so they might justify and say we'll just get the water from the other area now if that's the case they're actually becoming more uh obstinate right they're becoming more stubborn in their in their moving away from Hashem and they're going to say Alec the echner almost you know what so the curses will come let them come I'm just going to go to a different country and buy my Provisions from them there are Provisions so too by any other pestilence or sword they can also sing because these these themes come up often in the in the curses you know what the person would say this this uh um stiff neck person you know I'll just save or escape myself I'll save my own life look what it says in Proverbs 22 verse 5. number seven I don't think troops and snares troops probably not a good translation but all kinds of you know obstacles and snares are are in the way of the perverse Hugh preserves his soul will distance himself from them meaning you want to save yourself you stay away from the Minefield make sense you stay away from the minefield you're going to guard yourself show me an offshore Mayhem so if that's the case because it's interesting because with all the colors they didn't turn green it was just by the 98. yisham and yet there is this let's say the scheming right we're so smart we can figure out a way to save ourselves from the pits right of these curses from the the consequences of these curses foreign and if a person feels you know threatened excessively threatened to something like that's going to happen lotifarish ancho and for some reason he he thinks he can't separate himself from the the the the consequences from the punishment the only thing is like this when you understand when if the curse is clear then you know what you're trying to guard yourself from but if the curse is unclear you have no idea what it is you need to guard yourself against you have no idea what you need to be careful in right if it was clear that's not going to rain so you have the justification you'll get the water from somewhere else if there's going to be some type of plague you'll know where to go to resolve or to get you the help you need but if it's not clear you have no idea and this is why they turn green when for those two the two that are not part of the 98 we're going to see the verse in a second those curses that were said in Deuteronomy according to the Clear Car there certainly were a hundred I mean we talked about hazal mentioned 98 all the time and yet they used the strange language of a hundred minus two and so the clear card says yes they really were a hundreds because the author of The medrish by saying a hundred minus two he knows there's a hundred ah however but included in the entire amount are two that were not explained it was not identified the essence of what they were and what are those listen to this in chapter 28 61 that's number eight on the source sheet um just think about a second right I just want to the word the words Koh Holi the Gamache is 98. so really read it like this also the 98. that they really are these two kohali means all the diseases and all the plagues call Maka now it's very weird what do you mean which is not written in this total scroll to destroy you it's not written it's not explained those two are you don't have no idea what they are every single disease in every single plague that I I'm going to bring upon you but it's not written in this Torah scroll so the clear card continues after hearing the verse of 2861 Bliss he didn't count these two in the Full Count that's why it came out 98. all the plagues I'm sorry right all the diseases and all the plagues because he didn't count them in the 98. but he did Count 98 in addition to those aside from those IMO so you all together you have nine uh a 100. so all together out of the hundred you have to not actually missing what's missing is their explanation is what they were the words appear in Cain e of Charlize therefore not know what they are it would be impossible to come up with a scheme a personal scheme to guard yourself against you can really only guard yourself against those which you know are practical applications that's why they grew frightened that's where they grew afraid of and and became confounded trembling sees them that's where they turn green because not knowing about these two on account of these two they were lacking or missing uh the the understanding was hidden from them the um the yaru Mayhem Shia behem kill young and they actually feared that they could become destroyed from these two plagues or curses last line on page two all right Moses spoke to their hearts he was consoling them saying it's not what you thought what does it mean he was consoling them remember we said it must be like contradictory things foreign basically those two were hidden they were actually hitting the essence of what they were and that was today that was in order specifically so there's no way to guard against them so that you should know you cannot come up with a personal excuse or a personal you know out to to save yourself there's nothing you can do I mean because many times we angered Hashem and yet no matter how bad we were how often the Derek we were those two curses never came to be I thought even though it was fitting it was we were deserving of total Annihilation nevertheless never happened now if you're going to justify and say if that's the case so then what in the world were the Carlos there for anyway if it was going to happen La Malone why why weren't they explained right why were they left unexplained the fish okay when we talk about things that are nist or things that are hidden what's the greatest thing that's hidden that we that we know exists and that's the world to come so these relate they were hidden because they actually relate to the world to come um that that right the world is hidden because man from the aspect that we're just a physical being and we ourselves are confused within the darkness of this physical world we really would not be able to understand and fathom the depth of this punishment this curse it's closer to the world to come and this is why we also say that the main reward is waiting for us in the world to come which is hidden the Torah itself hides the real reward the spiritual reward for this very same reason because we would not be able to really comprehend it so the truth is also the the punishment or the curse will be your Indian so now we understand shamosha said to them I'm giving you when he gave the 40 the the 98 curses those 98 curses were real physical curses that could take place in this world then it says gum also koholi I already told you cocholi is 98 by the way also these two all the sicknesses and Jesus and all the plagues right that would only relate or be of applicable to The Sinner in the world to come and I think it means like measure for measure according to his evil acts he we will be punished measured for measure but what else does it say it says I shall look a tube is safer it turns out but these are not written it's not written in the Torah meaning those two the Torah doesn't go into it doesn't explain what it really is meaning these two um these two these two curses they will be applicable they will end up being applicable to the head of the evil people as well no which means what this I have to find out are we talking about even the evil people will end up in the world to come after severe punishment I think yes okay in other words they still end up in Allah and they will experience the severe punishment there okay let's continue we're on the uh the last paragraph now we understand when it says you guys all of you are standing here today just as a day begins with Darkness there's a dark part and then there's a light part this is what we saw before so too you will exist with an eternal Eternal existence just as also after someone's personal son has said meaning they pass away after their son s-u-n becomes dark and the moon also their day has set and they pass away or Hashem where do they go back to they go back to that ultimate light the light of God which is uh Eternal yes the truth is that when we pass on we don't end life doesn't end but rather there's this um we're left over right there is an understanding that there is the existence of man even after he passes away and that we should really understand this verse also all of the plagues and all of the uh um the sickness and plagues which are not written in this Torah this is what will we will experience after in the world to come if we're not um if we didn't do true in this world just like in this world there's going to be light for you like it begins with darkness and ends you know the with daylight so too that's how the future would be if you're not good right and you have to experience we'll call it gehenna of some sort in the world to come so too there's light at the end of the darkness just like you have light at the end in this world so too you will have the Light Shine for you you'll be have this intimate relationship with Hashem with the Ziva shrina the light of the divine presence is you're basking in it the close the usurim the kayam and this is a hard pill to swallow but it's the actual curses and the assurim that are keeping us in existence that is keeping our positions to a certain extent we're able to stand before Hashem because of the curses so if you go back I think two weeks ago we spoke about how why are hisavo actually yeah so last week where are the curses you have the 11 curses I'm sorry where are the where are the Broncos the Broncos are embedded within the within the curse so too it's the curses that are actually where the usurium the afflictions that we experience that are going to get us to olumba and there he ends with a little bit of the Gomorrah from gomor bracos says like this and Gamora brajos it says there are three things that are acquired through hard challenges yasuri what are those three things the land of Israel right that's a good question so we have here a couple verses there were three there were three uh very valuable gifts Israel that Hashem gave to the Jewish people the kulan all three are acquired only through hardships troubles I don't know you have I don't want to keep going on with all these uh you know synonyms okay so one of them is the world to come and he brings down in nishlay it's Proverbs chapter 6 verse 23. for the Commandment is a candle and the Torah is light and discipline rebukes are the way of life is referring to after life right the way of life but it's talking about the way of really acquiring Omaha is Musser is through how do you translate disciplining rebukes um okay um look at rash at the very end disciplining rebukes incline a person to life I mean this how else you're going to know how to live your life properly if you don't have someone correcting you but we have to be honest with ourselves that's the hardest thing for a person to do but nevertheless it is found that they are a way of life if you can be honest with yourself know where your your your faults are and look at yourself in the mirror know where you need to improve this is the way you're going to earn yourself it was only after Moses reveals to them this great secret of the world to come I share the funim loyadu which prior to this perhaps they didn't know about that that's what remember they turned green here this was a consolation that through the knowledge of the world to come that they're going to all end up there and I'll tell you Rabbi Cass and gave a whole Shear on how every Jew will end up in the world to come I'll try to find that and put that also in the link below but basically this was what nitkara data somehow in other words gave them some peace and it was only through understanding what these two of the hundred remember there's 98 and then there's two additional ones so just to sum up another thing I mentioned in the rabbi gladstein mentioned right King David instituted as a tikkun a hundred Brothers yes there were plagues imagine that there was a plague and right there were people dying he said you know what we're there's an action opinion that it reinstituted because God says what do I require of you we met what do I require of you and don't read it as he instituted saying 100 brochures a day these hunting bracos are to mitake in the hundred clubs 98 of the Brokers we make every day are banan nevertheless there's 98 if you're making 100 Brothers a day and two of them are the Riser right on food on on bread and birches so Torah so take your brojo seriously especially those two I mean especially all of them don't get me wrong don't get me wrong and beer customer ain't shalosh on on misonos at the end of a meal there's a mock Locust whether or not it's the rice or not like it's a little bit the here and here there but so take that just as seriously as well it's still part of the direction so this hopefully was coming into the new year that we have so many things we could work on we all know that find one thing like they call them in the non-jewish society New Year's resolutions right we have well I think they got it from us right find things that you're willing to improve to work on this coming year things that you may have been lacks in in the previous years and the bizrant Hashem will all come together I know that Cena the word is 98. okay so because of Cena this is another big deal if we can Makai mitake and Cena we can also overcome the 98 Carlos and bizarat Hashem you cannot be broken when you're unified and together so it was rather Hashem I want to wish everyone not just the shabbat shalom but shonatova mitsuka mommy should find all the blessings all the growth growth strength is from strength to strength especially in Torah and love and family and with that have a great life and I don't know where we're going to meet again okay so maybe we'll meet after circus under my life [Music]