Yesod of Malchut - Counting the Omer - "Connect to the Tzadik" - Rabbi Alon Anava

Almost done with Sefirat Omer, two more days. We're going to be learning about this Sefirah that is called Yesod shebe Malchut. And the Sefirah of Yesod in my soul, we spoke about that the Nefesh is built from the 10 Sefirot that has 10 Kochot haNefesh. The Sefirah of Yesod in my Nefesh is the power to get connected to something else. And specifically, the Sefirah of Yesod is my connection to a Tzaddik. We know that the Sefirah of Yesod is directly connected to a Tzaddik. As we say about a Tzaddik, Tzaddik Yesod Olam, the Tzaddik is the foundation of the world. So, the Sefirah of Yesod in my soul is the ability to get connected to the Tzaddik. And now is definitely don't have the time why specifically I need to be connected to the Tzaddik, but the Tzaddik should say in a very short way, the Tzaddik is my mediator to the Kadosh Baruch Hu, the link that allows me to connect to the Kadosh Baruch Hu. So, I need a the way that I will have this connection, this Hitkashrut, and the Sefirah of Yesod allows me to get connected to the Tzaddik. We are counting Yesod shebe Malchut, so that's already kind of Wait a minute. That Yesod is the Tzaddik, when the Malchut is the king. So, isn't the king the Tzaddik? So, we know that there can be two at the same time. Can be a king and a Tzaddik. Doesn't have Doesn't mean that they're the same one. So, and in many cases, there's a king and there's a Tzaddik. And we see in history many times that there's a king and there's a prophet. The prophet is the prophet and the king is the king. It's not one has nothing to do with the other. Now, a real king, since we're focusing on the sefirah of malchut, and I'm going to already say that now, so it will be fresh in our mind, even though we're talking constantly about king and the sefirah of malchut, this is also related to me. I'm also a king in my small domain. I am the king of my own domain. A real king has the desire to be humble in front of his spiritual leader, even a king. Now, in our generation, the king, so to say, a prime minister or a president, he thinks he's the top. The real king, he knows he's the king, but he's still humble and he says there's somebody above me. Uh spiritual leader, my teacher. So, a real king still has the desire and the ability to be uh subdued and to say there's something above me, a higher level than me. And that's the tzaddik, cuz the king is a job, is a position, and the tzaddik, that's the spiritual leader. So, I mean, even all the leaders besides Moshe Rabbeinu that we can really think about, all the leaders had a uh rebbe, uh a spiritual advisor. So, nevertheless, even David HaMelech, as great as a king as he was, he had a He had a teacher. He was also humble in front of everybody. He says, "Mi kol melamdai iskalti." I've learned from everybody. But nevertheless, a real king, a true king, as great as he is and as powerful as he is, he still has the ability and the desire to be humble in front of a spiritual leader. This means to be connected to the tzaddik. Now, the power of yesod, the sefirah of yesod is this power to be able to have this hitkashrus. Now, for example, with Lag B'Omer, 600,000 people 600,000 people went to Lag B'Omer in Lag B'Omer to Meron. 600,000 is the biggest event we have in Israel, bigger than any show, any football game, no no such a thing. Can you imagine? This is just physically. Just imagine how many other millions saw it in front of a screen and so forth. But there were 600,000 lucky people who went there. Why do you go there? I mean, we know we can go there every day. A lot of people told me, "No, you're going to Meron on Lag B'Omer? Well, I can go there every day." I of course I go on Lag B'Omer, don't get me wrong. But I can go there every day, but why do you go there? Because there's a tzaddik staying there. And I explained that I have a few times throughout the week you go to the grave of a tzaddik, the nefesh of the tzaddik is there all year round. The nefesh, which means that I go and pray there and I have to pray to the God to God, not to the tzaddik. That's the fine line where some people make a mistake and that's why a lot of people say, "I don't want to go to a grave of a tzaddik." So, but nevertheless, you go you pray to Hashem, but nevertheless in in the presence is the soul, the nefesh of the tzaddik. Of course you pray in the merit of the tzaddik. You're not allowed to pray to the tzaddik. This is a bigger sin to go to the grave and pray to the grave. But nevertheless, throughout the week the nefesh is there. On Shabbos, on Rosh Chodesh, and other auspicious times, then the nefesh and the nefesh, the ruach, and the neshama is there. But on the hilula, on the day of the passing, the nefesh, ruach, neshama, chaya, and yechida is in the tziyun. So, you're in the presence of the soul. What happens is that you get attached. Remember last week we talked about that if you attach yourself to a good neighbor, it will affect you in a good way. Sit now amongst of 10 righteous people, you become righteous, too. It is not going to be lashon hara. You're not going to be slandering or anybody. All you're going to be just talking good and learning Torah. So, you attach yourself to something good. Same thing here. You want to attach yourself to a tzaddik. And you see it's pretty common in many different groups that they attach themselves to the a certain tzaddik, whether that tzaddik lived 20 years ago, whether that tzaddik lived 500 years ago. But, nevertheless, the yesod is the power that allows me to have a connection to this spiritual leader. Now, why do I one of the many reasons why I want to be connected to a tzaddik, Moshe Rabbeinu was the ultimate leader. That's why we call him Rabbeinu. And Rabbeinu means my teacher. I mean, everybody in the in the past got a title. Not everybody, but many got a title. David got the title David Hamelech. We always say David Hamelech. Which David? David Hamelech. Shmuel Hanavi, Yosef Hatzadik, Aaron Hakohen, Avraham Avinu. Many people got a certain title. Moshe got Rabbeinu, our teacher. So, Moshe's called in the Zohar Raya Mehemna. Raya Mehemna means a trustworthy shepherd. That all our leaders were trustworthy shepherds in the eyes of Hashem that they can lead the nation. But, also, the way to explain the name Raya Mehemna means Ro'eh Ne'eman that he feeds the people emunah. Mehemna is emunah. It's belief and faith. The leader is able to feed you emunah. When I have a lack of faith, then I need I need some type of a what's called a chizuk. I'm sure you are registered to at least one group online. The daily chizuk. All right, chizuk means to strengthen something. The bolt is a little bit loose, strengthen it. So, we need emunah. The tzaddik is able to give me the emunah. He's the spiritual leader. So, why why for me to have this in my in my spiritual path? Because a real king knows that there's something above him. Talking about now a physical king, David Hamelech, Moshe Rabbeinu, they always knew there's something above. They were humble. As called the leader of spiritual leadership. You know, even David Hamelech, I said this is a perfect example of a king. He used to humble himself in front of his rabbis, and and he considered the Sanhedrin above him. He listened to the Sanhedrin. I mean, how many kings we had that didn't listen to the Sanhedrin? Not only that, a good king, a real king, he listens to the prophet. How many times we see in our path that there was a king who didn't listen to a prophet. And they had to pay for that at the end. A real king says, "Yes, I am the king, but there's somebody above me, especially in the spiritual space, which can be the prophet, the Sanhedrin, and so forth." So, what does that got to do with me? That I have to understand that there's something spiritual above me constantly. And I'm not the last word. I'm not the authority. In general, when we sing the word yesod, yesod, the translation means a foundation. And the foundation, a good foundation, is promising that the building, the structure, is stable. So, the yesod sheba'malchut is the connection to the leadership that is above me. That's is what's going to make me stable and strong. You know how many people, unfortunately, if Mashiach comes today, you know how many people will not accept him? Will say, "No, I don't want you as my Mashiach." That's how sad the situation is. And even we see in history that situations like that that there There a leader, and somebody says, "I'm not accepting you as my leader." And and now we're going to read very soon about Korach and many other situations. But nevertheless, where we spoke about it also in the previous classes about Sefirat Omer, when there's a leader above me, you have to recognize who's the leader, and you accept that is that is a person above me. So, the Malkhut the social of Malkhut is coming to emphasize that as great as you might be, and if you reach to great levels, there's always somebody uh spiritual leadership that is above you, and you have to accept it. When you accept it, and you're humble, then that's what will cause this Yesod the foundation to be strong and you're stable. That you know there's an authority above me. You don't make up rules. You don't come and say, "I don't like what you're saying here. I'm going to do it my way." It doesn't work like that in the Torah. So, a person, if you want to take the the Sefirah practically, a person has to find himself a leader, a spiritual leader. And specially in our generation, baruch Hashem, there are thousands of people who find their path to the Torah, both Jews and non-Jews. You need a leader. You need a guide. You can't just do whatever you want. There are a lot of people they go to a bookstore, they buy a a pile of books, they start reading. Very good. But you need somebody to tell you, "You didn't understand this right. This is not how you interpret it." So, that's why one cannot learn by himself. And one cannot grow by himself. Because when I'm now stuck in a certain level, you know what I need? I need somebody to pull me up. Practically saying, it's not only that I have to humble myself in front of the right authority, and I have to find the right authority, because 90% of what's out there is all fake. You have to kind of sift through the dark and say, "This is fake. This is fake. This is fake." And I'm talking about in the religious world. I'm not talking right now in any other place. I told you many times that when I became observant, it took me a long time till I found the right one. And I was very disappointed. I went to one rabbi. He I constantly saw that he's lying. This rabbi is cheating. This rabbi is slandering. What's going on here? So, you have to find the right leader, and then you have to make that person your spiritual guide. That he's my link to the next level. And needless to say, it has to be the right person, not somebody fake. Sometimes it's very hard to find, but one needs to pray to the Kadosh Baruch Hu to find him the right leader. Because if you have the wrong leader, then he leads you to the wrong place. He takes you if you follow somebody blindly, and he's going somewhere, then he's going to take you to the wrong place. Yesod Bamalkhut is that you have the ability to connect yourself to somebody higher than you. And not only that, by having that connection, that's what stables you. That's what makes the ground firm. If the ground underneath you is shaking, then your whole structure is shaking. So, now is a good time to concentrate, to meditate, and to pray to Hashem, "Find me the right person that would lead me to the right place." I mentioned that in the different in the last class. Who do you are obligated to give more respect, to your father or to your rabbi? So, our sages say to your rabbi. Because your father brought you to this world, your rabbi will bring you to the next world. That's why you want to make sure you're finding the right person. You know how sometimes you're lost, so you're saying, "Let me go after the one in front of me." But what if he's lost, too? Then you both go to the wrong place. So, you want to make sure that the one that you're following is the going to take you to the right place. And there's a few key notes, a few things that you have to focus on to recognize in the right person to say that person is going to take me to the right place. This person is just going to take me and when I'm when I when he can't get anything more for me, then I'm going to be getting kicked to my tuchus. So, practically saying, the person any person has to find himself the right person the right spiritual guide that will able to affect him and needless to say that's what brings uh great stability in my spiritual spiritual work.