The Tragedy of Rabbi Akiva's 24,000 Students - Rabbi YY Jacobson

what did reaba do after he lost 24,000 students anybody knows what did he do did he give up he came from non-jews he was a self-made man till 40 he didn't know Olive Bays he wasn't part of the system at the age of 40 he goes to learn alive Bay he becomes the godar 24 years he mentors 24,000 students and he loses every one of them what's the normal emotional response what would a therapist tell you jump off the Brooklyn Bridge or the taeny bridge which one tranquilizers or proac what would the therapist tell you but is and thear says in he started all over again you know with whom with five students now here's the interesting thing we don't know even one name of the 24,000 students the five students we know their names we know what they taught we know what they represented in Jewish history the gamor goes through in Sanhedrin these five capture the whole M of T shabal we know their names we know their T we know their story we know their teachings 24,000 they didn't only die their memory died what was the difference my friends the difference was one difference the first group were intellectual Giants but they were judgmental people their TAA did not refine their character they knew but they had no respect for somebody who's going through a different Journey did you ever meet such people they don't have space in their heart for struggle they don't have space in their heart for people who are different they don't have space in their heart for people who are going through a crisis they don't have space in their heart for anybody who is not conforming exactly to their expectations even though this person has a different type of Nish it's my way or the highway and if it's not my way you burning ahen him forever those 24,000 students were brilliant people but they are not remembered in the history of the Jewish people sadly they're forgotten it's not a small statement it reminds me of the story you know the story there was air a big kamson very stingy man and a poor man came to him and he said I didn't eat in two days could you give me a little food he says I don't give food to poor people you can go to theable and they'll give you food so he says I can't I didn't eat I'm going to die give me from the garbage can so he takes from the garbage can leftovers of chabas there was a old salty piece of fish and he gives it to the poor man and he gobbles it up immediately and it was so salty and bitter that he fainted so the man calls ATA and they Rush him to the hospital the next day he tells his wife I can't come home tonight she says why not he says I have a big Mitzvah to do she says what he says you remember we had a guest yesterday I gave him a piece of fish there's a Mitzvah so I have to go to the hospital so he goes to the hospital for the next day he calls his wife he says I can't come home today she says why he says you remember the he died there's a big Mitzvah to go to his L I go to his L the next day he tells his wife there's a big he left I have to go to pay a sh call he comes home from the shiv call and he smiling from ear to ear his wife never saw him so happy in his life she says I don't understand you what's so exciting you coming he tells his wife fish fear for the where do you have a better deal better one smelly piece of fish and four of the greatest Mitzvah my friends for some people that's what Judaism looks like they're collecting [Music] think about another person's heart about another person's soul about another person's pain just because they don't look Mish like you and they don't scream just like you and they don't have your feelings were brilliant people but they lacked the sensitivity the the understanding that a who doesn't have a a person who walks around mental all day can't have a real can't have a real we come to and we say you you I love but your children I hate this one I hate that one I hate God can't listen to you tell me I love you Rabbi I hate your kids you hate my kids get out of my life doesn't work that way they couldn't carry the of the writes only a Jew who cultivates in his own life the he has the EM of to that's toyra the five students of RAB Akiva were only five but they changed Jewish history forever because they understood that the essence of yides kite is working on yourself working on your ego becoming a humble human being in the presence of infinity and seeing the god in every person which happens when you could see the in yourself the yeshiva.net