Parshas Vayeira - The Insignia of Our Jewish Identity | Rabbi Naftali Reich

[Music] it's much harder to live Al kashem sanctifying God's name than to Die Al kidush hasem for hashem's name death is a one-time phenomenon but living is a constant battle a constant Nan that we're fighting day in and day out nowhere is this better expressed than in the aada the foundation stone of our yahadus the moment of the AA when Abu was ready to sacrifice his son the moment that we became aes's chosen Nation where the angel comes and says don't stretch out your hand don't do anything to your son don't even make a blemish Elohim at now I know that you're God-fearing and you didn't withhold your son from me at that moment moment Abu could have been swelling with pride he could have looked around and said hasem I pass this and then he could have been thinking okay it's over let me get out of here before Hashem gives me another difficult but he didn't the p tells us AB he lifts up his eyes and he sees there's an there's a ram caught in the thicket by its horns and he takes that aisle and he lifts it and brings it up as a sacrifice instead of his son and the hel ofin said that this aisle is reflective of the Jewish people through the generations in the first time when ab's ready to sacrifice y he implanting in the Mainframe of clis that were're capable of dying Al KES hasem but here now he's giving us the ability to trans form that to live ales hasem because our minds are entangled in a bush the Y Sahara grabs a hold of us and our canay the car the shine of our seems to be entangled and disabled with all kinds of negative thoughts but we have an ability to lift up our eyes and see the incredible opportunity and value of vashi of living a life of Kus not just dying Al but living Al Which is far greater than dying Al and if we rise up we take those thoughts and we say I'm yours I'm putting it on the fiery M of my mind and offering it up to you we are guaranteed what the Mal says since you did this you're going to be a source of blessing all the of being this is where the Insignia the very essence of our Jewish identity is expressed [Music]