Thought for the Week Parshas Shelach Inspirational Armor, Rabbi Yaakov Winner - 5786

Hello, how are you? Today is a day of miracles. The Reb and the Rebbitson were saved from Europe during World War II. In 1941, they came to America. They landed in the shores of New York 85 years ago. So, first of all, how are you? I hope everyone's so we have to understand the connection between etc. But first we'll start with Mashiach should come now. Then we'll say a prayer and what we're going to speak about is something you already spoke before more than once. And the truth is you should see there what we spoke about it because it's hard to repeat everything we said before but I'll just repeat it. And today I just want to speak more actionoriented and that is the prayer which is the third part in schma which we say every day by shak and by and by three times a day and over here we see the importance of so we'll just read where it says spoke to And then the next says so first let's talk about the importance of tittis and why this is one of the most important mitzvah more than all the other mitz of And that's why one of the reasons why it's put together as part of the when you go over to a regular average Jew and you ask him what is the most important prayer of all of our prayers in a certain sense some people will say the schma and it seems to be that we added the titis to the whoa there's so many other misses you could have thought of but we put titis not fill and not any discussions about other things as a as a par itself even though in the first part of it mentions but there must be something that is called the third section of the schma and it's so essential so let's first mention a couple gurus and the medish the story of comes after the story of makim the one who gathered the wood on chabas and he was. So this is why the para of comes right after that and there's a famous medish and the medish goes why was the written right next to the when the decreed that that person is guilty and the penalty is Now asked how will a person remember all the mitzvah you have to look at the whole medish now I'm not going to repeat it but shabas we don't put on so would be a memory but not on shabas anyways so the b the end of the medish over there goes I'm going to give him the commandment of which also applies on chabas Oh, and then he's going to remember Shabas and he's going to remember all the mitzvah and that's why he through we remember all of the mitz and see the bring down all the famous reasons why through looking at the titus mati 613 I'm not getting into it now so those are technical reasons number one so we see the importance of schma number one that it's mention the importance of paris that it's mentioned in the every single day the third para so we see that must mean that it's absolutely essential and monumental from the foundations of Judaism number two we see it as a mitzvah that through this mitz remember all the other mitzvah so that means it's equal to all the other mitzvah through we get everything is called and now this is The question we asked other times when we spoke about it we see that comes when it comes to certain mitzvah we have this question that the statement that it's considered like all the mitzvah we see this concerning all the mitzvah keeping shabas is compared to all the mitzvah why is it called is considered all the other mitz Chuva is considered like all the other mitzvah. We find that say concerning many mitzvah that they're considered like all the mitzvah. So obviously one question is how could how many mitzvah could be considered all the mitzvah? It seems like a contradiction is this mitzvah all the mitzvah or that mitz all the mitzvah and the answer is those mitzvah that it says that they are equal to all the other mitzvah those mitzvah are tak more important than other mitzvah so to speak number one you see from the rebb chose 10 m he could have there's 630 m I mean there but you get what I'm saying so the more general General fundamental mitzah is true but we have to have an understanding when we say that this mitzah is all the mitzvah or that mitz is all the other we have to have an understanding of how this mitzvah reflects and demonstrates something that is true about all the mitzvah and it's precisely this mitzvah that brings it out in a more revealed way than any other mitzvah of all And before we get to that, we'll just bring one more quote which is from in the brings from the says which literally goes on the goes on. When you look at the you seem whoever is careful with this, it's as if he's receiving the face of the says over here you will see it. When it says you will see Hashem and then you will serve him. You should fear hem sorry you should fear him. Just like over there it says and it goes on himself. So over here when you look at the tit it's as if you're looking at the face of divinity the face of hashem himself. So we have to understand why. So over here we're going to go to discuss what we discussed other times about the mitzvah of titis. the mitzvah of the discusses it and since I spoke about this concept many times I'm not going to elaborate it's an unbelievable mime it's so classic it's so penetrating it's so profound it's beautiful you have to learn it and the explains that there's a talis god and there's the titis And the talis god oil represents the eagle god the mak the infinite light and the titsis one sits represents the kav like the could you imagine the measurement of this compared to the talis god the big talis so the big talis represents the infinite light the all-encompass compassing light and the kav the concentrated string the finite light which went into the tim in order to create the worlds. So let's rewind for a second. In general, we have hem and he has two names and it's not in the scope of this to elaborate on these things, but let's say there's there's the supernatural channel and there's a natural channel. And bye, we say they work together. And I hope you realize this by now, but in a sense that's all of this is what it means when we say goes on Hashem's infinite light goes in Hashem's finite light. And the whole idea of Judaism is to show how Hashem is absolutely one with the world and the finite and the infinite are not a contradiction to each other, but there's true infinity that's able to unite both. What does it mean in the service of Hashem? In the service of Hashem, let's put it very bluntly for today's talk. We spoke many times and we can speak about this every single year because all of Judaism boils down to these two aspects. There is BL transcendence or self-nullification and there is unification and refinement. Like for example, someone's going to ask you a question. What's preferable? To serve with choice or to serve Hashem with no choice. On the one hand, we'd stress in Judaism no choice. The basis of Judaism like the said that the Jews said first we will do and then we will hear. So the idea of Judaism in a certain sense is an awareness of a true infinity of a super super power of a Hashem a melik which is our boss which is our authority and we accept him whether we understand or we don't understand and we're loyal to him whether we understand or we don't understand and it's an unconditional bond and that means and why do we say first because the first thing is when we say we accept Hashem as the authority as the king and the point is willing and ready to do whatever you want without questioning what you want whatever it's going to be we're ready to do that's called that's called the advantage of no choice because when we're entering a relationship with infinity we have to realize the only way we can become close to infinity is by doing what the infinity wants. Otherwise, it's impossible to bridge the gap between creator and creation. But at the same time, we say no, Hashem wanted us to understand. He wants us to understand, he wants us to be passionate. He wants us to love it, enjoy it. So, back to the question, what's the preferred way of serving Hashem? No choice or choice. On the one hand, there's the emphasis of no choice. how we nullify Hashem. How we nullify ourselves to Hashem. Transcendence and that's understood like you have to know who you dealing with to start. That's like the no choice in a way. But afterwards, the whole point is that every single part of you should be engaged and involved. The only way every single iota order of your being could be involved and engaged is if it comes from choice. Not there was something superimposed that came from without but that it comes from within. So that's called and when the person himself every part of himself is involved because it came through choice. I hope you understand. And the same thing we see about Judaism. Let's not elaborate now why Hashem made and it says One way is through which means we look at the world and we see the world as it remains a world and we see the beauty of the world and the other way is to show that we have a force and that's the story of the 10 m to show you that there's a force there's an infinity which is not limited whatsoever according to the nature the rules of nature hashem is not mother nature hashem is hashem and there's no laws of physics physics or nature that limit and that represents the idea of and this is what it means why the mitzvah of is the greatest mitzvah and now we can understand why according to it's so obvious what does it means can you imagine without and this is the beauty of without if it says how is it that if I'm wearing a garment, a woolen garment with strings, do I see Hashem himself? But if you learn and you learn the inside story, it just is a whole new incomparable incomparable unparalleled layer. When I see that string, I don't see that string. I see the wow the after the when they decided to put in a concentrated beam to from there came all of the worlds and the creation of all the worlds and before the tim is the eagle the great circle the infinite life the infinite life so this is what it means now can you imagine I'm looking at my titus Whenever I look at my tits, I'm thinking about the the finite and whenever I think about the talis, I think about the idea of the infinity of hashem and the ultimate point is to connect both and they become one garment together. And as we explained till now, what does all mean? that we have to have both of these aspects. Choice, no choice, understanding, passion, but at the same time, obedience. Okay, so that answers the main point and the main theme of what the mitzvah is. There's more to it than we mentioned in one of the lessons. See, look. Now, let's get down to the specifics. I want to speak today about three aspects of the mitzvah of Titus. one we spoke about right now how this brings a remembrance to all of the mitzvah because in the mitzvah of titus is more in a demonstrated physical manner how we see hashem himself so that's amazing and it's a lesson on life in general one of the lessons of this is whatever we see in the physical realm is a mirror and a reflection of divinity and spiritual levels it makes you have a whole different life. But now there's a inim which really triggered me to speak about this whole idea and he speaks about different opinions about wearing tits outside or is means you have to see them and but those that didn't wear them outside and the Reb explains that really it boils down to the rashi that tells us the two translations and meaning of the word and Rashi says in one definition of the word means the fringes the tassel see there and then he gives another explanation mates means to see to peer so if we say the Word titus means the tassels, the fringes that means it could be covered also. It's the the idea of seeing the titus, it not necessarily in the essential definition of the mitzvah. But if you say that the word titus means mus seeing that means the tits should be worn outside and the Reb gets into that. But now if I may say so and I mentioned this already once before is and the of that day talks about titis and I got an answer twice from the Reb about checking my titus. Once was when I was a child and I was a very accidentprone child and the Reb gave an answer to check my titis. So we see from this there's an idea of as a as a protection and that applies even if it's not seen if you're wearing it and it's not seen. So that's number one. I want to push just like the Reb gave answers to people to have a stuck a pushka in your car with a I want to push that if a person wants an extra layer of protection where tits. The Reb answered to me about wearing titus when I had accidents. And we see something unusual that was whoever remembers the war in October 7th for the first time ever. I don't remember it happening by the six day war even though I was a young child by the six day war. Not by the war. Not by any other war did it become such a thing that the soldiers were interested in wearing tits. And this time it caused a massive massive campaign. The soldiers wanted to wear tits and there were many stories of miracles that of titus protecting them etc etc. So that's number one. There's something connected to titus that's protection. armor number one. Number two, as we're explaining over here, the spiritual armor, which is connected also to what he says over here in the through looking at it will prevent you from doing sin as the medish we mentioned before about chabas. But it means all things connected to guarding your eyes being careful a reminder which is a lesson in life in general as we spoke many times I don't want to get into it now a person has to know his true condition like explains in chapter 13 doesn't mean it just means that a person is born with tendencies every one of us that could by mistake forget. Situs is a protection to remind you at all times and it definitely helps you to prevent you from spiritual follyies. So that's now another aspect of titis. Number one. Number two, if a person's looks at and he starts thinking about and idea of the Gile and why he created a world, why he made it and that he's meant to serve in a way of and he's meant to serve in a way of and it's in such a evident manner it will prevent him from doing something wrong. But now I want to say something which I didn't say before and this is what the Reb spoke about. I looked up the talks where that from comes from and it was they bring down three sikas but when you they bring down two places where the spoke about it but when you look up those places it refers to a third place where it all started and it started as a talk to Hashem to Jewish children and army of Hashem and this is a uniform and children should wear tits and they should wear it outside but then the Reb continued speaking about this and the custom of great Jewish leaders throughout the generations and different times and what's the in a certain sense there's a cabalistic the word inside because it's connected to an inner level to a certain extent but says to wear it outside see the inas. But when the Reb spoke about it, the Reb pushed much much more the idea of wearing it outside. And he said two stories, one on one occasion, one on another occasion. And we're going to connect it to on one occasion he said a story which is a very famous story that I heard from the Reb himself a couple of times that there was once a one who slaughters the meat. We know that in is meant to be especially a shim a god-fearing Jew. There was a in the times of the that wore galashes. You know what galashes is? those rubber things you wear on top of your shoes when it's raining. And he was dismissed. You couldn't eat from anymore. Why? Because at that time, none of the wore galashes. It was a new thing. And by wearing galashes, it seemed like this guy was becoming fashionable. He was following the mother he was following the trend of what was the fashion at that time in Russia like what's in and what's out and because he was following the fashion that showed that the world I'm calling it in the largest sense secularism but it doesn't mean secularism it means the ways of the world the trends of the world affected him so therefore he was told no more he can't be a and the point that the rebel always would bring out Because at that time there's nothing wrong with it. Not the riser, not the raon except only that it was the trend. It was the in thing in the modern world in the outside world outside of the small village of that means that something from the outside world penetrated. So really that showed that the standard was not the same. And the Reb at another time said the following story which I never heard before that in um Poland there was something called a dashik. A dashik is a um a cap, a certain sort of hat. And there was somebody walking into shul and he was wearing a dashik which is a Polish sort of cap that people wore in Poland. And the Reb says They told him to please leave the sh and he was saying what's wrong with it there's nothing wrong with it doesn't say anyway and he was told that then he's going to be allowed into a restaurant where they serve non-coosher meat in other words when you're wearing a hat like every other you wears a hat not the goa hat if you're wearing the hat which is like the Jewish style hat like today nobody wears such hats in the street or if we're talking about like the other they wear those hats I don't know what you call them so that you're recognizing you're making a statement about yourself clearly who you are and that itself will prevent you from going to other places but it's in both levels when you wear such a hat you're clearly proclaiming I'm a Jew and I'm proud when you wear a Jewish hat, a hat that all Jews are wearing. And that has a double double implication for yourself. If you're wearing such a hat, you're not going to walk into a movie theater or you're not going to go to some Broadway show which is immodest or something like that. Whatever the story is, since you're clearly identified with this hat. So, a person that wears such a hat is not going to drive a car in Shabas. So, whatever it is, you get what I'm saying? But then there's another level. When you're wearing such a hat and you go to a place which is inappropriate, someone else will tell you, "Hello, are you sure you're in the right place? This place is not for you." That's what the Reb brought out from the story with the dashik. And now I want to tell you what I've seen from experience dealing with with some youth and especially now after October 7th. First of all, we see alas some people where the beginning of their descent starts is let's say with titis they want to hide the titus. They want to put it in the pants and it's very sad. We're not judging anybody. We're bringing out how we have to push push push Jewish pride. I'm a Jew and I'm proud. I know there's a song about tits. hang him low. In other words, this is a sign that you're a Jew. This is a sign that you're different. That's the third aspect where I want to talk about today with the mitzvah of titis and why it's so important through tits, through wearing your uniform, through wearing that armor. It it's a statement of your identity existential and therefore also it help protects on many levels and this is the connection number one for the situation that we're in right now after October 7th in particular. I would say right now this is the call of the hour for all Jews. There's so many Jews that are first beginning to wear yamaka and even though they didn't wear before, they're wearing one precisely now. And the same thing as I mentioned before concerning the war with the tits. People that never wore sites before have decided to wear tits. If we see such a terrible, terrible anti-semitism going on, we have to fight it. And we know already the only way to fight it is to clearly proclaim who we are. And we're not counting in defeat just because there are others. And this brings us to America. We have to constantly remember we don't appreciate what it means what it means for our fathers and our forefathers. Until the Jews came to America, until the until the centers of Judaism came to America, it wasn't so easy to be a Jew on the street. You might have had been scared. That's one of the reasons why titis not necessarily was worn on the outside throughout much of Jewish history because you didn't want to become a target and you didn't want to be taunted or mocked or put yourself into danger. Who knows what? But thank God. Thank God that came to America. We have to celebrate when the Reb came to America which which which that is an explosion of Yiddish even compared to what happened when the Fredba came to America the year before. But the Reb was the one who took over the organizations, which means we're going on the offensive. Of course, there were Jews before in America. But who is the one who started outreach? Who is the one who started Madison Avenue tactics for Yiddishkite in a in a grand way, in a in an obvious way, in an epic way, in a way that everyone could see it? Billboards on the highway, etc. So this is a lesson that we have to take in ourem from tits and there's so much more to talk about sits and how sits brings us to all the other mitzvah and also about right now right now right now the relevance of the situation that we're in now about Jewish pride and also about the fact that thank God we're living in a free country and even though there's rising anti-semitism etc but we have to realize that borashem don't get affected and help if we will do our job and show the that we're proud of who we are then Hashem will make it easier for us. Now posting from my home is your man in Melbourne.