"And So My Fellow Yehudim..."

Shalom Aleichem, Baruchim HaN'imtzoyim. This shiur is, I think, the 15th in the series of Avod Hashem. The title of the shiur is, "And So, My Fellow Yehudim." And so, my fellow Yehudim. There is a Medrash which is brought by the Or Sameach in his parish on the Chumash Meshech Chochmah, and he brings down the following comparison between Moshe Rabbeinu and Noach. The Medrash says as follows, "Omar Rabba bar Rachia, Moshe Rabbeinu was more chovev than Noach for the following reason." Interesting. Moshe Rabbeinu was began, as we know, when he fled to Midian, and Tzipporah reported to her father, Yisro, "Ish Mitzri hitzilanu." An Egyptian man came along and saved us. An Egyptian man, meaning, I suppose, with an Egyptian passport. And later, in the end of his life, we know in Parshas Berachah, he was called an Ish HaElokim. He moved up from being an Ish Mitzri to an Ish HaElokim. And yet, says the Medrash, we see by Noach, Noach was an Ish Tzaddik Tamim. He was a righteous person. The Targum calls him a Zakkai Shalem. Zakkai Shalem means absolutely perfect. Not Zakkai, but Zakkai Shalem. A perfect, perfect person. Who would have known that Noach in our times we wouldn't be able to look at him, maybe, the the the shining, the aura, the Kedusha of such a person. And yet, at the end of his life, he was called an Ish Adamah. What happened here? After he became slightly intoxicated, as you know, then he was called an Ish Adamah. What happened here? What was the difference between Moshe, who was originally an Ish Mitzri, and he then he turned out to be Ish HaElokim, and Noach, who was a Tzaddik Tamim, the most righteous of all people in his time, and he was saved from the Mabul, and he became an Ish Adamah. On the first glance, we would say that, of course, the promise of Noach was much greater than the promise of of the potential of Moshe Rabbeinu. Person who's in a Tzaddik Tamim at the end of his life, and maybe we'd call him a Malach at the end of his life. What happened here? Says the Or Sameach, what what happened here? The change is phenomenal. What happened here? And the Or Sameach explains as follows, "Inside the titles of these people, meaning, Moshe Rabbeinu was called a Mitzri, and Noach who was called an atzadik tamim, there's an engineering, there's a mechanism which is telling us what their future would be. Meaning, why was Moshe Rabbeinu called an Ish Mitzri? He was called a Mitzri because he saved a Yid, a Yehudi, by killing a Mitzri. Meaning, his title was a Mitzri because he was in exile. He ran away. And for sure, a person who's in exile has tremendous risks and suffering and difficulties in a different country. And therefore, the Mitzri doesn't necessarily mean that he had an Egyptian passport. It means that he was by nature an Egyptian, but because he killed an Egyptian, because of that, for that reason, he was called an Ish Mitzri. But not that he was, but that's how he was reported. In the end, he became the greatest novilla combisso kamoishe oid. Masha ain't king, says the uh Al Sameach, but Noach was a tzadik tamim for himself, within himself, within his own life. I find it very difficult to talk about Noach. Who am I, a me'ani, to start talking about Noach? But the chazal say he was more interested in himself. He was cloistered in in his own life in his chomas. He was a tzadik tamim, but he wasn't involved in in other people. He didn't be makir about other people. And therefore, we see the difference was as follows. So, this Mitzri became an Ish Elokim because he was more involved with the community. He looks after other people. But on the other hand, Noach was involved very much in himself. And such a person doesn't really flow, doesn't grow, doesn't prosper like a person who's involved with the community. If you're only involved with yourself. I was thinking about the Al Sameach. And maybe we can ask a question, but why? What is behind all this? What's behind the profile of Moshe Rabbeinu because he was so involved with the community? As we know he was. 12-year-old boy left the palace. 12-year-old boy walking around the streets of Cairo crying his eyes out. He saw the the the labor and the persecution and the slavery of the Jewish people. He was a broken man. And he cried and he worried about them, tried to help them. The old people, the young people, the women and the men. And he moved the peckel he couldn't take it. And eventually he became a Moshe Rabbeinu, the great novi in klal Yisrael. What's behind it all? What must we understand? What must we learn and take out as a profile of an eved Hashem to try and understand exactly what is there in the words of the osem the mechanism of Moshe Rabbeinu and the mechanism of Noach. How must we understand it ourselves? I'd like to bring down to you a passage from the Chofetz Chaim. You know there were several introductions in the sefer Ahavas Chesed of the Chofetz Chaim. In one of the introductions he brings a footnote in the following point. I think this explains it very beautifully. Says the Chofetz Chaim, A person should be doubt Hashem is one. A person should follow in the ways and emulate and copy the Almighty. Sure I am native who hated or native or native one I could and then he brings three came from Parshas Eikev. Let me read them out to you. In Parshas Eikev it begins with Hashem Elohecha to go in his ways meaning follow the his his kind his merciful and then reach a point of that's the first possible. Then the possible says a little bit more of you will comes first and then be with if you follow in the ways of the Almighty a little bit more with your year behind it you reach a point of all. Then he brings a third possible which says came to me as always such as be with of meaning each time each rung on the ladder moves with a point of to follow in the ways of the Almighty to emulate him to be similar to him. That's the model. The profile is to copy the Almighty in his ways. The levels are first of all if you follow the ways of the Almighty you reach what's called then there's Hashem and then there's the Hashem meaning the the explanation of being close to the Almighty and copying him, that's the meaning of devekus. That's what we mean by devekus. We have Aaron Cutler I saw in Mishnas Rebbi Aaron, if you want to look it up, it's Trei Lek Aleph, page kuf mem dalet. Rebbi Aaron brings the most beautiful point. Aaron takes the point even further. He says as follows in Parshas Vayeilech we see perek yud gimmel pasuk aleph. Listen to these words. Acharei Hashem Elokeichem telechu va'asav tishmau, his mitzvos avdim tishmau, you should keep his mitzvos. Uvekol leishon tishmau va'asav ta'avod. Uvei sitboken, and you should cleave to him. What does the word tidbok, what does devekus mean? And Rebbi Aaron says as follows. Our understanding we know supposed to devekus is a person who spends a lot of time over davening. He's very careful who he talks to. He's careful what he says. He's careful with his kavana shma al Hashem. He's careful what he eats. Maybe he won't have a taanis dibur. He won't speak. Maybe he'll make taanisim. His life might also be something like a hermit. He sits in a beit hamikdash. He's very closed. He looks after himself. He's dovek to Hakadosh Baruch Hu. He might even be involved in avoda zara as well. That's the meaning how we would understand devekus. But says Rebbi Aaron as follows. Rashi says on the words uvei sitboken as follows. Hadbeik bidrachav, cleave to his ways. Gomeil chassadim, be involved in kindness. Kevuras meisim, to bury the dead. Ubikur cholim, kemo she'asoh Hakadosh Baruch Hu. That is devekus. Devekus is not necessarily just the the kavana in your tefila. And of course the learning Torah which is paramount, which is profound, which is preliminary of course. But there must be something more than that. Devekus to Hakadosh Baruch Hu is being similar to him. Similar to his ways. Copy him in his ways. And maybe that's the meaning of this ish Mitzri here which the Alshich is bringing out. The definition of the caring person is to similar to the the Almighty. He was so worried about the Jews in the the suffering of the Jews in Egypt. He went out and killed a Mitzri because he was beating up the Jew so much. You see what's That's what it means. The definition of devekus is not necessarily how we might think of it. It's much more than that. I was thinking, isn't that really what we say on Shabbos morning in Nishmas? Never thought about it. In Nishmas, Nishmas begins in different sections. It begins with the title introduction who Hashem is. Me oilam vi ad oilam, ato kel, from one end of the world to the other, you are the almighty. >> [clears throat] >> Goel u'Moshia, paidom There's no one else who Melech Elokei rishonim acharonim You are the beginning and the end. El ka kol brius, adon kol talois, you are master of all characteristics, of all personality traits of person. Hamul v'atishbachos, these are all the titles of the almighty. And then immediately we go into what he does. Hamanaheg oilam b'chesed, how beautiful that is, no? Meaning, who is he? He's oilam b'chesed. He is oilam chesed yibaneh. Meaning, as soon as you understand his the title, you get straight into the chesed. Hamakeh adom u'mameh, amoy yishanim You you see the point. It's more than It's more than just devekus and in your prayer and tefillah. There's an aspect There's an aspect of also being involved with other people, being chesed, gomel chasadim behind it all. That's really what we're looking at here. And therefore, the definition of devekus, which we see the Isha Elokim, which we're looking at here, is something much more than just the tzaddik talmid as we see, much more than that. I remember reading in the introduction to the Nefesh Hachaim, the famous talmid of the Vilna Gaon, Reb Chaim Volozhin, or the Sefer Nefesh Hachaim. In the introduction, his son Reb Itzel Volozhin wrote as follows, "My father continually pushed us all the time, all the time, to be involved with other people. You're not here for yourself, you're here for somebody else. The whole motivation of your life you should be around helping others, being involved with other people." That's the beautiful point behind it all. Rabbeinu Yona, Rabbeinu Yona takes it even further than that. Rabbeinu Yona maybe puts it in very categorical terms, very clear behind all this. In Sha'arei Teshuvah, Perek Yud Gimmel, in Sha'arei Teshuvah, he says as follows, you're not going to hear it as clear as this. Ki Chayav Adam Litro'ach, a human being is duty bound to take the trouble to Bid'rishas Tov Amo, to search for the good of his fellow man, Velishkod, and be diligent and persistent Ba'amal Nafsho, with all the effort you can, Al Tokanas Chaveiro, looking after somebody else. Im Dalim O Oshir, if he's a poor man or if he's a rich man, Bazois Min Achamo Umin Haikolim Hanidoshim Min Adam, this is one of the most strict and severe and primary requirements of principle of humanity, to care for somebody else, to be involved. Shenema Heigiya Adam Matoiv Ma Hashem Doirish Mimcha, he brings down from the Navi Micha, Avos Chesed, to be involved in Chesed with other people. And there you see it, and therefore, we begin to understand a little bit deeper what the Ohr Sameach means. From this Ish Mitzri, who was only a Mitzri because he killed a Mitzri, and he had to flee into exile because of that. It was a a potential and it was a path towards becoming an Ish Elokim, but Noach HaTzaddik Tamim was involved much more with himself. There wasn't that aspect of caring for other people. I don't know if I'm right, I don't know, but um I was thinking as I was preparing this Shiur, maybe this whole Avodah, the whole service of being a zookeeper 24/7 inside the ark, but maybe it was a sort of Teshuvah for him. I remember reading in the words of Rebbe Nachman who writes about this and also Rebbe Moshe Sternbuch HaRav Dov Ber Chaim Shlita explains as follows, the survival of Noach was to be involved with the animals, to look after the animals, to care for them. He didn't show that caring when he was He didn't pray for them, he didn't look after the people in his time, and therefore his own survival at the time of the flood, why couldn't he just be put on a mountain top? No, look after him and sit on a deck chair and and read a book and watch the world being destroyed. No, the survival of Noach depended on one thing, on caring for the animals, looking after the animals, showing the empathy, showing the understanding for the animals. Maybe that was the the tikkun, that the reformation, which which Noach needed. There's a Zohar which says actually that the Noach was a gilgul Noach Moshe Rabbeinu was a gilgul neshama of Noach. See, maybe there was that makeup. I don't know. I'm just thinking about these lines. Perhaps that's the point here. The ish Elohim comes out from being a caring person involved with other people. And that's the point which we must take out. That's how we must follow the understanding of it all. I'd like to take this a little bit further, this point. And maybe there are two points which they're homespun, but I I'd like to follow this point. We see quite clearly from the words of the Ohr Sameach and the Ahavas Chesed, Chofetz Chaim and the Rabbeinu Yonah. We see also from Nishmas as well. Dveikus means close to the Almighty. Becoming an ish Elohim means involved with other people. Moshe Rabbeinu was totally involved with other people. His whole life was given over. A 12-year-old boy. I remember there was a ma'amar of the Alter from Kelm in Chochma Mussar. He writes as follows. There were perhaps greater tzaddikim and greater talmidei chachamim in Mitzrayim than Moshe Rabbeinu. There were greater ones. But Moshe Rabbeinu was became the leader for one the Mashiach because for one reason, he cared. He had ichpatiyus. It bothered him about other people. And that was the forerunner to becoming an ish Elohim. This ish mitzui turned out he became more chabib than Noach. Even though Noach was a tzaddik tamim, there wasn't in his quiver, in his personality, the traits of the caring for other people. He should have prayed for them. He should have looked after them. And perhaps I'm suggesting even more that maybe the whole survival came about because he had to look after the animals. And that was the tikkun for the neshama of Noach which came out later on Moshe Rabbeinu in the gilgul. Perhaps we can say that. But I'd like to bring two points to your attention which I think are very important from here. Very often a person, I think I'm suggesting, it's only my own thoughts, but I'd like to mention it cuz I think this really something which we can all brush up with a little bit. Very often some a person does a chesed, and who is the real giver? Who is the real taker? The person is really himself. Why are you giving the money for tzedakah? So that I'll be known as a giver. Now, why entertain people in your home? Simply that my home will be a home. You know the famous analysis of Rav Dessler brings out in there's a giver and the taker in society. In reality, you think you're a giver, but really you're a taker. When you're doing the kindness, it's only for yourself. And that's really a question one must ask himself. Be a little bit more conscious behind the chesed that you're doing. Who really is gaining from it? You're trying to do it for yourself or you're trying to do it for somebody else? Think that's a question we must ask ourselves very often when we do a chesed. By Rabbi Yonah, we say who hated who mated who hated who loved who no. He He is the famous analysis to remember we mentioned previously of the Rambam in Moreh Nevuchim. There's something called tzedek, tzedakah, and chesed. So the Rambam tzedek is something that you must do. If you have a worker, you must pay him. If you bash someone's car, then you must pay for it. The work you must do so that's tzedek. Tzedakah is something you're not necessarily obligated to do, but you feel in the words of the Rambam, "A chiyuv she'al nefesh, I must help this poor man." Tzedakah is something you feel you must do. You're not obligated to do, but you feel you must do. Then says the Rambam, even greater than all that is something called a chesed. Chesed has in it the level of benevolence, the hatovah, the good for the other person. Not every tzedek or tzedakah necessarily has a chesed in it. You can turn around to the poor man and say, "Here, take the money and leave me alone." You did it tzedakah, but there was no hatovah behind it all. You can do a You can give a great deal of money actually in Shulchan Aruch brought down in Hilchos Tzedakah. I remember reading in Yoreh De'ah the halachah that is brought down that if a person gives a great deal of money, but he gives it with a sour face and says, "Leave me alone." In reality, there's tzedakah, but there isn't chesed there. It isn't chesed. The chesed is the the goodness, the kindness which comes out when you're doing it. And I'm suggesting sometimes a person can get involved with doing a chesed, in reality he a taker and not the giver in the end. Something to think about. The second point which I wanted to suggest is as follows. And it's an observation which you can agree with me or disagree with me, but this is what I was thinking. In the life of being looking after Torah mitzvahs, as we do keeping Shabbos, learning Torah, if you learn Daf Yomi, if you're involved with Hesed, in whatever whatever project you're in, very much very often I think davening especially and all the different mitzvahs which we have, looking after the children, sometimes a person becomes so self-centered, you're thinking really much more of yourself rather than thinking about other people. And I think it's a cross-section across all levels of society, whether person is sitting learning Torah, whether person a businessman, you're very much involved with yourself. And that's really in a mistake. The real avoidas Hashem, the deveikus is to be involved with other people as well. Of course, one must make time, and sometimes it's a tremendous challenge, making time for your learning, but also making time for other people as well. And there are so many other people outside there who never had the opportunities that we had maybe. Maybe near person doesn't even know about Shabbos. The people have no idea what it means by tefillah. They never had a mentor, no one ever showed them it. There are amei ha'aretz in our own who don't know. Surely, isn't that really the basis and the profile of Moshe Rabbeinu? He always kept an eye open for somebody else. It wasn't just himself. He was involved with other people as well. I think very much involved with this is also the problem that we have. We get confused between the shita, the policy, the principle, and the person. I mean as follows. Very often a person can write somebody off and you dismiss them. Why? Cuz after all he's a chillul Hashem, after he's a Whatever he is, he's a badka, he's a safardi. All these labels which we put. The tragedy is which people have is that they are not able to see the Yehudi inside the principle. Remember the beautiful story they tell about the Satmar Rebbe, zecher tzaddik livracha. You know he was fire against Zionism, but it was a known factor anybody and everybody could come to his house in Williamsburg and he'll give stalker. There was no distinction if a Yid who do Yid who do and makes no difference. Isn't that the beauty behind it all? We often get caught out with people who we're helping involved with them and that you dismiss them perhaps. Why dismiss them? Why dismiss them? A Yid who do as a Yid who do. The famous line I remember hearing of Hotner say to the he once turned around and said, "If Golda Meir who was a prime minister at the time when he was alive Golda Meir would come and I wouldn't stand up for her because I don't recognize her as being the leader of Israel." And then he said the most beautiful point, "But if she would come over to me and ask me, I need help finding a shidduch for my son, I will do whatever I can." You hear the point? Being able to divide your distinction, your categoric between somebody who he is the Yid who do and also what he stands for. And that's a major difficulty I think. We become so involved with ourselves and we become so involved with labels, we dismiss people and that's a tragedy. A Yid who do is a Yid who do behind it all. That's what the point which we have to get clear about. So many other people who to be involved with. I'm not saying everybody can be somebody like the great Meir Schuster say to who went down to the coast and then brought everybody into or some mayor who the Yeshiva there I'm not saying everybody can be like Weinberg from not everybody is or someone as great as with a fine Waxman. Not everybody has these abilities. But at least one can daven for these people. To be if you can't actually physically do something for other people. I think this aspect of meaning caring for other at least daven for the people. Care for them in your prayers. Mention a Israel and about so never the in the assignment who left out of Israel. All these widows and young in our area here in Shemesh the widows and the the children and the orphans their fathers were killed in the war. The tragedy at least daven for these people. Daven for the and a tailor were locked in the prison who were caught up they're are and learning tailor. And above all, daven for the soldiers who are standing on the border and guarding us, looking after us. All the soldiers in Eretz Yisrael. Hear me Shema Yisrael. Daven for people. If that in itself is certainly a maila. You maybe you can't go out and be mekarev people. You don't have the ability. But certainly to bear a thought, to be alert and be compassionate towards these people. That's what I'm saying. And that I think is a point not only when one does a chesed, one is thinking of oneself. But the other thought which comes to mind very much. We get wrapped up in ourselves. My own place in shul, my minyan which I go to, my learning which I have, my daf yomi. But there's something else behind that. The bakasha according to what the Baal HaTanya is saying, u'voisi b'vakon, means one thing. Being caring for other people, looking for other people, being out for other people. Just today I was talking this over with somebody. He turned around to me, isn't that really the definition of Uh im lo ani li mi li, u'chshani im atzmi, mi ani. When I'm thinking of myself, mi ani. If I'm only thinking of myself, mi ani. Im lo ani li mi li, im lo ach, if I'm only thinking of myself, mi ani. If I'm only thinking of myself, then what am I? I can end up becoming an ish adam. You can be a tzaddik tamim, unfortunately. Again, I feel so awkward talking about Noach who was a tzaddik tamim. But the Torah tells us that there was a there was a mistake. He didn't daven. He didn't look after the door. Moshe Rabbeinu was an ish mitzri, but he became an ish Elokim. That's the point. The engineering which the Chasam Sofer is bringing out here. The mechanism is behind it all. And that's the necessity which the Chasam Sofer brings out. Behind it all is the caring for other people which we've seen. The compassion, the alertness, the awareness of people who are outside who never had the opportunity May people don't know about Shabbos. May the chayalim standing on the border looking after us. So, at least to care for them and think about them and daven for them. Even maybe you can't physically and and socially do something for them. There must be the awareness and the compassion. Where do we learn this from? Let me bring you some examples to show you what I'm talking about. Look at our Zeda, our original Zeda, Avraham Avinu, which we're now coming to in the parshas of Bereishis. Avraham Avinu. The Alter from Slabodka asks a wonderful question. Why was it that Avraham Avinu marveled and and excelled in the state of chesed? Where did the trait of kindness come from in Avraham Avinu? Says the Alter as follows, he looked around and saw direction in the world. If you see direction, that then the direct tour. There's somebody running the show after all. There's somebody behind it all. Says the Alter, this was who Avraham Avinu. He noticed it must be somebody who keeps on giving and giving and never gets back. He gives you food, he gives you life, he gives you sunshine, he gives you rain, he gives you everything and he never gets paid back. It must be that the manufacturer prefers and wants the product to be like himself. Meaning, every manufacturer wants the product to be like him. And therefore, I must emulate him. That's where the chesed came along. In other words, Avraham Avinu's emunah ran parallel together with his chesed. The kindness and the faith in the Almighty came together. He discovered the Almighty through the power of giving and that's where it is. And therefore, our Zeda's profile was that, the emunah and the belief in Hakadosh Baruch Hu came together with the kindness which goes with it as well. There you see the point. Look at Mordechai HaTzaddik. Mordechai was one of the heads of the Sanhedrin and he was called in by Achashveirosh to take the place of Haman. And he Mordechai HaYehudi, what what did the loshon say about him? He was doresh tov l'amai v'doresh shalom l'chol zar'o. He was involved all the time, Mordechai HaYehudi, with other people, with klal Yisrael. Mordechai HaTzaddik, you see the greatness of Mordechai. He was a great talmid chacham and he kept up his shiurim. But Mordechai HaYehudi, he was involved with other people. V'doresh shalom l'chol zar'o. There's a beautiful point I once saw, let me share with you from Reb Yosef Salant. He mentions, what does it mean l'chol zar'o? Says the Reb Yosef Salant, many people who lived there in Paris or Mada at the time of Mordecai had married non-Jewish women. The husbands were Jewish, but the wives were not Jewish. So, in reality, there was a Zera of Yehudi there. Even though the mother might not have been Jewish, still Daiva Shalom L'chol Zera. You hear the point? Beautiful. Even though a person was mixed marriage, still it's those people. He cared for them. Even And how many people have in our generation they're not mixed marriages, but we need to care for them, to understand, to understand not not to be caught up in in in a shita. Make sure that person the Yehudi is divided up from that. That's the point which we have to take. That was Mordecai HaTzadik. I often myself think to myself, I remember years ago, especially at the time of the Levaya of Rav Elyashiv Zechuta Tzadik L'vracha the Posek HaDor. How come Rav Aryeh Levin, the great Tzadik in our time, who was also a phenomenal Talmid Chacham, my son-in-law mentioned to me a beautiful Peirush. I never knew of the Mishnayos which the Rav Aryeh Levin He was an outstanding Talmid Chacham. Why did he get a son-in-law like Rav Elyashiv for the Noam Elimelech? So, did you No, you hear the point? There's something behind it. Behind the tremendous Chesed of Rav Aryeh Levin, his son-in-law was Rav Aryeh Levin and from there the Kanievsky family as well, Rav Chaim as well, Zechuta behind it all. I suppose as a greatest example maybe we can take is the great Rav Chaim Brisker, Rav Chaim Soloveitchik. Rav Chaim was known in his Dor as the epitome of Amelus B'Torah. The effort that he put into learning Torah was phenomenal effort into Torah. I remember reading about Rav Chaim. Every day after Davening, he would stand there in his place, sometimes put his head against the wall, and for an hour or so just stand there going over they say, I think his son-in-law Rav Bezalel Rav Feinstein used to say as well he would stand over and go over Masechtas in his mind. This girl also said his son-in-law Rav Chaim and go over Masechtas and he was sweating as he was going. He used to go over in his mind over and over again Masechtas. Can you imagine? On Shabbos they say he never used any slime. He would sit on the chair and go over all his learning together and he was sweating as he was going over, thinking again and again of all his learning. The Amelis Vatai was phenomenal for Reb Chaim. He used to wake up his son, Reb Sholom, in the middle of the night and ask him a question and there was no no let up, no let up in his learning in tail. If any was the epitome of Amelis Vatai, it was Reb Chaim. His chessed was phenomenal chessed. Let me share with you a maiseh, most beautiful maiseh my mechutan told me this beautiful He's a Brisker a doctor in in Unsdorf. He's a Brisker and he told me the following maiseh about Reb Chaim. Reb Chaim was once traveling to Warsaw for a convention of Rabbonim, of Yeshivas and they discussed the crisis, the situation of Klal Yisrael in Eretz Yisrael and also in Europe as well. All the Gedolim came together to the meeting in Warsaw. Sitting on the train together with Reb Chaim, a Yeshiva bochur got on and also Reb Chaim turned around and said, "Where are you going?" He said, "I'm going to Warsaw." "Why are you going to Warsaw?" So, the bochur said, "I've been called up to the Polish army." You know, in those times if you're called up to the army, it was like in the army for 25 years, it was like a life sentence. He said to the Reb Chaim, "I have money in those times the only way you could avoid the draft was you had paid a bribe to the officer." He said, "I have in my money a great deal of money and I'm giving it over to somebody who said he will give my exemption." Reb Chaim said, "Who is the person?" He said a name. Reb Chaim said, "I don't know the person who he is." Almost prophetically, Reb Chaim then turned around and said to him as follows, "Listen, I hope everything works out for you, you get your exemption. If anything goes wrong, here is my address, come to me and I'll help you out. Everything should work out all all right." They arrived at the train station and hundreds of people were there to meet Reb Chaim, the great Reb Chaim Brisker. He went into the shul and the bochur went off and gave his money over to the person and almost like a reality of what Reb Chaim had said, he gave the money over and the man disappeared and that was it and he lost his money, no exemption, he was broken. He went to the address where the shul was, where the meeting was being taken and people were standing outside, crowds outside and he said to the guard outside, "I've come to speak to Reb Chaim. He said I should come and talk to me. He said everybody says that as well. And he wouldn't let him in. And there was a whole commotion outside. The bocher caused a tremendous noise. And then Ephraim turned around and he looked at the corner of his eye, he noticed the bocher standing there arguing with the guard. Immediately he realized, he said to stop a minute, let him come in. The boy stood in front of him with about 2 or 3 seconds and Ephraim realized immediately what had happened. He turned around to all the rabbonim, the gedolei Torah of Europe at the time were all sitting around the yeshivas, dayanim, people of a great influence in Klal Yisrael, the leaders of Klal Yisrael. Reb Ephraim banged on the table and said, "Reb Ephraim's side. This bocher here has been called up to the Polish army." He gave money over to a person to get an exemption, but it was a scandal and and his money was swindled was taken away from him and now he has nothing. I would like all of you to promise a certain amount of money, write promissory notes. I need a certain amount of money. I know somebody who can give him an exemption. And therefore I'd like you to help me out." Within about a half an hour he got all the money together. He turned around to the bocher and said as follows, "Now listen to me. Take the money and take it exactly to this person and tell him that I sent you. He will look after you carefully." And he gave the money, the bocher was delighted. He went out of the door with the money and went to find the person who Reb Ephraim told him. As soon as the bocher left, one of the yeshiva sitting around the table turned around and said, "Reb Ephraim, I don't understand. We have come here today from all over Europe to discuss matters of Klal Yisrael, Eretz Yisrael and the problems of Jews of the yeshiva in Eretz Yisrael. One yeshiva bocher can wait until the end of the day." They say it was something almost like as if Reb Ephraim was electrocuted. He stood up and crying in his eyes and he turned around and says, "Ich verstehe nicht. I don't understand what you're talking about. One bocher in Klal Yisrael is all of Klal Yisrael. One person is Klal Yisrael." You hear the point? Unbelievable chesed. If everybody counts, we're not interested in numbers here. Every single individual counts. Everybody is important. That's the chesed of a prime. The caring, the understanding. He was a mail was phenomenal. But always there was the element of the issue of him there behind it all now. The every single person counts. Everyone is important in a beautiful point. No, that is. In Israel, I remember if you have the chance to to to read a little bit about the great Edelstein. His brother was the head of the Yeshiva Ponevezh. Evidently, when he was a younger man Jacob was also in line to become a head of the Yeshiva in Ponevezh, one of the great leaders of the in Bnei Brak. But the I think it was or maybe it was as well as well sent him out to become the love in where his father was the love and he took over there and he was people and made a tremendous influence on people. He gave up the great position what he could have become a god. He was a god and he gave up his time in order to look after other people. Phenomenal caring. There's the issue of him coming out. I can go on and on and on telling you the examples. Just one which made a tremendous impression upon me. I live here in several years ago, one of the died here in which he was an god in my eyes. But saved my life and saved my life. He was a blessing. He was the chief editor of the general editor of all the arts world publications. Meaning of the Babylonian He was the main editor. I remember at the time of the funeral one of the one of his partners turned around and said to him as follows. He was involved in every single the exactly the same. You could ask him a question from any from Babylonian and he was on the ball with every single which was being written. The general he was involved with everything which was going on. His involvement was he was an enormous he was a tremendous his compassion and alertness phenomenal. His son I remember turned around and mentioned there was a certain lady here in but her husband had run off to America and she was left an agunah. And so his son said his his father called the next plane and went out and found the man and insisted on getting a get from him. They're good. The compassion, the alertness behind it all. It's not enough just to be involved with your own learning. These people which I brought to Avraham Avinu, Rabbeinu Avraham ha-Levi, all these people, Mordechai ha-Tzaddik, you see what I'm talking about. It's one thing to be a tzaddik tamim, but the the ultimate is the involvement with other people, being caring for other people, taking in the concept of what's happening in Tzfat and Amuka and Meron, the soldiers, the orphans, the bnei yeshiva, whoever it is, to keep an eye open for them. That is the making of from the Ish Mitzri to what the Or Sameach means, to becoming the Ish Elokim. I said that the title of the shiur, you must have understood what I was saying, those of you with a little bit of insight. I said, "And so, my friends, my fellow Yehudim, and so, my friends, you you know where I'm coming from." The beautiful speech which was made in 1961, everyone knows this speech. "And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country." Such a beautiful line. JFK when he was inaugurated and was the president. And I would like to change that. I would "And so, my fellow Yehudim, ask not what Klal Yisrael and Torah and Mitzvos can do for you, but ask what you can do for the Klal Yisrael with Torah and Mitzvos." Turn it around the other way. Most beautiful speech. "Ask not what Torah can do for you, but ask what you can do for the Torah and Klal Yisrael." I looked at the speech. And he said something a little bit more, which is a beautiful line which JFK said as well. "Let us go forth to lead the land we love. Let us go forth and lead Klal Yisrael, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on Earth, God's work must surely be our own." Isn't that so true? God's work must truly be our own. What Hashem wants is also our work as well. He wants to go in the sudden who hated and therefore we must be the same show the profile of an must be like that God's work is my work as well what he wants is what I want who hate the difference between stalker and somebody else but the miners and the which one does but when all is like to keep an eye open for the others and that was the reason why the was of was greater This it's came the the unfortunately turned out to be a drama maybe he repaired it by I don't know by being a a zookeeper for 24/7 in the in the ark I don't know certainly his Gilgo turned out to be a in the end there's a lesson which we have we should but the cold tooth