What It Really Means to Be the Chosen People | Reb Shlomo Carlebach on Balak

Okay, good morning. This is a niggan from the para. This is a beautiful niggan. Foreign speech. Foreign speech. Foreign speech. for Maya. Oh d I am I am I am la I am la I I N Mishk is for la. I am I la. Heat. Heat. Yeah. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. N. I am I beautiful harmony. My brothers, today's we have this of this breakfast sponsored by Ysef Aron and his rabbitson. Lilian Aron is not feeling so well so he's not here but you know he'd be here if he was feeling well. So dedicated by Ysef and Leian Aron in honor of Natanel's upcoming 18th birthday. >> Okay brothers let's learn let's learn for a few minutes. We have we have the most normal para in the whole to learn the shabas very straightforward nothing too quirky nothing too weird. We'll try to see how we can make it more interesting. The sham is the deepest para this para parasa and this from all the inlom paras this one is always it whenever we've learned it in the past I don't know if we've learned it here but in other situations I always felt like we didn't really get to the point to the to the inner so I'm hoping that today we So if you have it's on page on page 294 inside inside the safe if you want an Evan schlommo you got to buy it >> you should buy it page 294 and mafali this shabis the son's bar mitzvah a big s tonight if you want to hear a a Beautiful laning come to the vitar mat. How excited are you? >> Yeah. Okay. There's a tadic in breast. His name was Reimo uh Kovski. He has a safer. It's a safe called on chabas. And that sa was safe for what he does with the paras based on based on the is another one of his farm they kind of put together a bunch of his teachings called and based on something in the frime that must have seen he builds up a whole mahal a whole a whole teaching over here so it's it's connected to but it's his words. That's already pretty that means the a person has to have a personal relationship with God. What does this what does this actually mean that Balok is benono and we're what we'll have to do to understand this is that we're going to have to differentiate between the real rishes of balok versus bum because in a certain to a certain extent based on the para it would have made more sense that this para was called pashas what >> bum like when you learn when you learn the para it's very strange that the para is called pashas balak but when we understand the root of what made them tick we'll understand why dafka that was the name of the para not sorry he was the lowest creepy anti-semite in the world is okay but what else do we know about Balak besides being the lowest rotten person happens to be the gum haras shows us that Balak was the sixth gener uh it's five or six generations is the greatgrandfather of Rut Moava. Don't you love when that don't you love when that happens? You know, Rut Moavia's alter was right. What's that? >> It's always like that with the same thing with um and the same thing with children. Always like from the dirt of the dirt. couldn't found a better lineage for than this. Pretty pretty shocking. They have a lot of shame in the Tyra. They don't really get their paras. And don't tell me right now cuz if you've learned any any you wouldn't say that right before the three weeks begin or as they begin you always learn this para from paralia light is shining in the world. Now we're going to get to the distinction the differentiation between the rish of bam and the rish of balak. We have to understand this fundamentally because then we'll we'll a answer the question we asked in the beginning why is this partak but also us to understand why iso which is more interesting to me than anything else. Israel. He just he he just hated he just vanced. He just he he just hated Israel. But he that's not really Balak story. He was jealous. His thing wasn't necessarily the hatred. He was so jealous of the closeness that felt and had with that's already a big he's giving him over here that what Balok really wanted was that the whole world should be close to Hashem's coming before God and saying why should only one nation serve you like this why not all 70 nations right saying wait tell me any this does sound a like right and it's it sounds a little bit like but it's coming from a completely different place but whenever you bring that thing of you know that's that voice that says why should it only be that person you're already going to get all the libs and everyone else is going to join you on some you know free free rights civil you know civil rights movement yeah it must be holy because he's speaking about equality >> you're really on it Right. Huh. >> You're really on it today with the the vans. The >> Oh, you caught that. That was a very fast one. >> Oh, okay. Right. So, everyone was like, "No, for sure. Everyone, it's good for everybody. Oh, I'm going to do that one. It's good for everybody. I'm going to run to that one." All those things that you say are good for everybody. So therefore we have to understand what was really wrong with the way that Bolock was tining what he was tining claiming what he was claiming. Now how often do you get chosen? How often do you get chosen to give the answer to the famous question how do you explain why the Jewish people are the chosen nation? Which today that's almost a criminal offense to even say that on campuses. You probably get arrested if you say this in many different places. No mameish if you if you translated kdesh or basatur if you actually translated these things in the world right someone said you know what what what exactly what do you mean by that right so of course we have our misguided brothers and sisters who changed one word instead of they added the word you've heard that before >> are you kidding the no sense whatsoever I've not heard that. >> I'm the only one that hung out in these kind of places. >> I mean, you never heard people say like this. >> Who's there? >> Doesn't matter. >> But also, it doesn't even make sense. >> Yeah. Shows us the >> Who are you hanging out with? So when you've when you're forced to answer that question and you're trying for the life of you to like be PC, they call you out immediately and they realize you can't you can't you can't give that over. Like even when you attempt to try to be politically correct and serving that foreign idol called political correctness, you're going to get caught out. They they hate you even more when you're trying to brush it. If you just say it the way it is, then say it the way it is, right? It's as if like I made God make his decisions. I made decisions for God. It's God's decisions. I'm just stating what God decided. But now we're going to understand the pineas of how you can answer, how you could even understand the concept of choseness. You know, I frankly it is strange for me when I when I am with uh you know at some of these like gatherings that involve other religions and everything and and they're very sweet people and I'm always I always feel aickle weird when this thing comes up because it's like uh oh so you I'm wondering so you you you you buy into the whole choseness but you're not part of it right Ko it's a very strange dynamic before going into their heads or not. There's an I say this braha every morning. It's a real thing. It's a real braha. It's a real real thing. There's a to just try to brush it off and try to sound cute. There's got to be to this which is what we what we have to get to for today's sh to to understand what's going on. I was in Shabas. I was in Shabas and now I don't know if there were terrible shabas but could be tell I'm save it. >> No. No. Please save it. Let's go. I'm kidding. I'm kidding. Yeah. >> No, someone it could be. This is exactly it. If Bo's whole thing was ka that he was jealous then what was the ultimately the turn from it was that we're not looking at each other. His whole thing was that was was jealousy of and the we had is that we're not >> it's beautiful >> and then it goes to the fl and that stopped the bal >> now you have a much more complete for taking the addition the supplements and now you have a real gish >> but that's that's that's beautiful actually what you're saying that's the okay >> no no that's a very because it is the theme over there and it's so funny because it's it's because it's the lion of the is now we know that those lon it's talking about zealousness but we all know that's the same words that we use for jealousy so it's a it's a the mafarim do explain over here how pin said we got to put an end to this because if not the roots of jealousy are going to continue to spread like wild yen will see hey this this this over here this brother of ours um he was able to do this with this woman I'm jealous and as the says which which uh we're going to be learning on chabist about these things take people out of this world soak has this ka he doesn't know what to do with it so he transformed it into saying into sounding like one of these like like garbage like you know sorry I am a little triggered today one of these garbage like woke tasers about equality and and freedom and civil rights, you know. Could you even have a concept of uh like with pinishma and then >> well that's what we say when we do have this concept which is called meaning there is room for it when it's used in the right way when it brings out the best of us but you have to be holding on a very high level that that mida doesn't get tampered with because when it does it's the destruction of the world >> so it's a it's a fine line m yes it's a fine Okay, so let's go back like what are we really saying when we're saying we're the chosen people and this is a good kabala right now we should have on ourselves for extra kavana with and with kdesh because then and also shall obviously let's understand this deeper right Official America. Imagine a woman wins Miss America pageant, right? And then they come to her as she gets crowned and says, "You just want to let you know there's another 200 women that also won being Miss America with you." How would that make her feel? participation awards >> be horrendous. She would >> My brother-in-law was hanging out with Miss Israel this week. Works nicely. You know the Yehuda? >> Oh, I thought Yuri Yudi. >> You really are Miss America. >> She wouldn't she wouldn't accept this gladly. this I didn't understand this telling you I used to hear him say this when I was you know much younger this drove me crazy I couldn't wrap my head around it until I started looking at theas that we say actually especially what did he say over here us if we were told if if Hashem came to us and told you should know the rest of the world is also chosen it would be the opposite of response like Miss America. Miss America can't handle that there's anyone else but her. Our whole Indian is to make everyone else feel like that. Now, that's a cute sounds like a cute hippie statement. If you actually look inside was a great example, but I'm specifically speaking of when you look at meaning the maybe that's why Lavich actually doesn't sing. They don't do they don't do that. Okay, move on forward. But when we sing that pute that that whole p there and that's the highlight of our that whole thing over there is describing what he just said right now. So I have to stop and be like wait a second would I really be happy if there was a bas that was now like okay it doesn't diminish you your job has been fulfilled by spreading your light and now the era has been ushered in for everyone the whole world to be chosen and be holy. No. So I say that meaning we sing that right. Imagine you come to and you're like you're like ah what does it mean to be like a yid? Ah aid is so fired. just we have to just you know I got to do chuva and separate myself from and from the world right who's >> the problem is we're not >> less chosen >> it makes America less chosen because by her it's either her or nobody by it's the other way around. So Bok you have to realize now where is he really operating from? He thinks he really is saying kilu he's speaking about choseness like yidden but he's really if he if push came to shove and he was crowned as being chosen he would go into miss America >> uh mindset and be like okay so if I'm chosen that really means that no one else is now how do you reach a place that you could really be that someone else is chosen which is which is everything we're trying to do in in our lives of tikidas this is is already going to the roots of the rash we started off with. Right? So just to end this paragraph before we would be so happy. He quotes from this type of chosen is who we are. Now he says like this. What's the basic difference between idol worship and serving God? Now you all think that we're still talking about statues. I'm talking about waking up from the illusion that maybe we still are serving idols based on this perish. If I'm serving an idol Nothing personal happens between me and that goddess or whatever you want to call it. Everyone you ever made this like small little godf the god of money. We're laughing but for many people this is their relationship with God when money is tight. So nothing personal happens between me and that God. We we don't serve God because God could do whatever he wants and he has all the keys to all the safes and therefore we go to God because we should take advantage of this of this protectia of this connection. No, basically what's what are we about to approach here? Bam. What do we think about him? >> No. >> Why not? >> When it fits an agenda purpose, >> we don't have agendas. >> He only said in his mouth. >> Huh? >> He could only say what God put in his mouth. Was it >> he listen he ended up being a for what Hashem wanted to bless yan with. That's not considered like serving the purpose at that that he wasn't he didn't end up being a provider of services for Hashem's bas in the world. >> Again, only when only when there >> obvious I'm messing with all of you guys. Of course, >> I'm trying to push us to get to a certain point. He went against his ransom. He went be I'm saying if you look at of bum okay obvious on the there's no one that I know that the Torah describes we have this amazing like front row seat to singapos right so you'll say no no no it wasn't really that it was all a miracle right as if like that as if we own our all of our in our lives there's also miracles was running around the whole place. The neuda of bumam the neuda is what just said over here. He said bam says to god I just want to serve you. I want to say whatever you tell me but that's that's still but still idol worship. What does that mean? He's saying Yiddish means service of God reaches the depths of my what's >> of my being in this world of my existence in this world. There's not one millionth of my heart that's not a yid or essentially for for an evidem. He's going to explain it over here with a with a very famous story. Mr. Alatik Aram Potski. Did you ever remember story about Grath Pototski? You guys learned it in high we had to learn it in high school here. Anyway, it's a long pski. No, I guess back in the ancient ' 80s we had to learn it here in high school in '90s. This is aki was a before they they're about to hang him who they saw him glancing at his veins. So the bishop comes and asks him. He says, "I'm just looking making sure my last second in this world to see if every ounce of blood that's in my veins." His mish became Jewish also. Would say this story before he right before he died and he also looked at his veins. I want to see if I became aid in every single one of my cells. Cuz for you have to understand for to become aid was a greater mahapak than graphski converting to Judaism if you understand anything about where came from. Right? So he's checking his veins to see I want to see if this mamish penetrated into every single cell of my body. If my blood itself mish mish became Jewish says it takes a full life full lifetime to refine the inside of the insides. Ah, very good. We're coming now to what what was brought up before. If you learn, we have this with a few paras. The few paras it seems strange that we get introduced to the main character of the next para at the end of the current para. Where else do we have this? >> Where else do we have it? Noah. Because at the end of we Israel. Why we have an Israel Israel? I think we just meet him. No, don't we just meet him in he comes before that? But anyway, we have it's a very strange thing by by pinas. It's >> rif the the re the re one that's really puzzling is like could we have would we have been okay? Well, two things. Would we have been okay if Pa's balak never even showed up in the Torah in order to have our chronological uh uh what's it called? Integrity >> of the Torah. >> The Jews didn't even know. >> If you had No, but if you didn't have Pious Balik in the Torah, would everything else add up in our story? >> Yeah. >> 100%. Alpon is not ali. We'll talk about an Shabas. But when you if we didn't have the end of pa's balak having pinas with the msa with with with zim and cosby would pa balak still more or less be okay >> yeah and even pinas describes what happened so you don't even need the end >> and yet it had to be over there why let's learn it side. You know, when we when we think of pinas, do we think of a of a of a calm, >> you know, functioning, thoughtout individual or do we see a a a redhead, a gingi like >> a Moroccan, >> a Moroccan. So why so what is he basically saying over here? Why did par why did the story of pinfa to happen at the end of balok? Because what's the whole para of balok like dealing with? >> It's dealing with working through k and anger and jealousy. So we're saying no the tikun for that para has to be in that para. And how do we know this? Because had he not really done a tikun for that ken that's in the world the result would not have been shalom. you'd give him something else way to do it. >> It's the whole thing of the whole series on that we did about revenge can't come because you >> you that's where it has to come from. What was his vision? He didn't realize what was hidden in his own name. What is Rip Schlommo telling us over here? You want to just knock off Balak and Bum as tim doesn't work like that. The Torah wouldn't make up a whole para about this in they had some nikuda in them that really felt that this concept of choseness is not going to be good for the world and it would exclude them from serving God. So based on what we said until now, it seems that Balok and Bum in a certain way had this ratson that this vision that the whole world will serve God. But to them serving God only means I follow what the says in order to feel that I did my service of God comes and shows us that is the prerequisite but for the next level which is what boono do you have anything personal withum do you have anything do you have any secrets with hashem someone once asked me that when a younger age and when I realized that I didn't I felt like I felt I felt uh shakil like the biggest imposttor syndrome in the world you know talk you could talk about all these things it's do you have any secrets with you and Hashem no leo between you and between your creator this is what Bam and Balak don't understand this is what yidl have to first uh uh um become in order for the rest of the And and this is also why Mashiach Davka comes from Benolono. That's the nikuda. Mashiach root comes from Benolono. She extracted it. She was the first one to extract this out of her great-grandfather's name. That that's what Yiddish is really all about. Kono. Do you have something personal with Hashem? So again in the second paragraph because we see he's busy setting up altars bringing parim he's busy with these with with avodas. Sorry Joey Nukem he's busy doing avedas. is what's the a balak is asking what's the avoid but he's asking that what's the avoid not in terms of like what do I have to do in my heart okay what's the next practical thing that I have to be busy with with my hands but he's not going inside his heart at all maybe he did know deep down inside but it didn't come out to fruition So at the end of the day, we we we dream of the of of of the most of the deepest things in the world. They end up happening. They ended up happening like he had a dream that it should be like this, but he didn't even understand what he was dreaming. his great great great great granddaughter. She understood what her great great great great grandfather was dreaming about and she was the one to begin the Bayolain Kono on a messianic level. I want you to think about this. For many of us, we are living the dreams of our great great great grandparents. They had these dreams. Perhaps they didn't understand or know how to make them become real. But we are hopefully hopefully living in a time that we are making our great-grandparents dreams real. >> That's a messianic that's avi. That's what the that's what the that's what Malik is saying over there means that great grandparents can look at great grandchildren and say ahanu you actually consult this you you what I was trying to say boak looks at R and says yeah that's what it was I got messed up I just thought it was just something else like lip service but Ruth >> you got it huh >> we saw a similar thing with >> that's interesting we could say about Korak This is still a tickle like family business like Ian is I heard this from is rooted in the benikura and so this dream the etsim came from abrau and it got on the way to to root and like fixed on the way to root but like this is it started in holy place it's expressing itself here in a really twisted way but it it ends up getting fixed text like >> by root. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. That's beautiful. Real gave that over. >> That's of course he did. >> And even Lord was hanging out with and he got the messages but he just used it the wrong way. >> That's also the for it's a >> but now we understand a few things. Why is this para called balak? Because really it's about it's about him. It's also not a para. There's no para parasa parro or lot because those are not they're not coming into the program with having within our arsenal the ability to set up the future for am to do for the world to do amazing things. Balak does that because of his kesh to his great great granddaughter. So I I I want to give us a when we're learning we'll stop here. I want to give us a we're learning this para and we look at these words and we see the brahas that come out. Please know and please believe that each of you and I mean this like from a really real place and I and I hope I could feel it about myself as well. Maybe many of us grew up feeling like we're disappointments to our parents. Um but I guarantee you none of you are disappointments to your great great grandparents and enquy to your parents maybe. They're also stuck in trying to figure out what their what their Indian is. But to your great great great great grandparents, you're you're not disappointments at all. And that that should give us the to believe that our being in this world is bringing nasm and we should join moya connecting to tikun for her great-grandfather Beno and just do one more mitzvah and one more hug, one more to tip the scales and bring the Amen. Amen. Amen.