And The Holy G-d is Sanctified in Charity with Rabbi Aaron Dovid Poston

[music] [singing] [music] [singing] [music and singing] >> Shalom aleichem everybody. Welcome back to the YU Beit Midrash, welcome to the Torah. This class is based on Rabbi Chaim Friedlander's book, right? Siftei Chaim. That's the name of the series. It's called Rinas Chaim. And it is on the Yamim Noraim. It's on the High Holidays. And I know that every one of us, when we pray on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we're praying for the whole year. We're praying for the whole year. So, this is an explanation of the prayers that we're praying just for a few days, including the 10 days of chuva sometimes, but basically Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. And we're davening for our lives. We're davening for the whole year. So, this book has so much hashkafa, just the world outlook of how a Jew should view the world and view God. And we have pesukim. And the pasuk we're dealing with in is Isaiah chapter 5 verse 16. The entire verse in English says, "And the Lord of hosts will be exalted in judgment, and the holy God will be sanctified with charity." Now, if you remember the last time before Pesach, we went through this, that God will be exalted in judgment was the night was the title of the shiur. And so, I recommend go back and review that shiur because this is basically a continuation. Okay, so katuv po, meaning in this verse, this is what's written. And in Hebrew, we're going to do it in shat me'ol, but it says Hashem Tzevaot, right? That Hashem is the Lord of hosts. Who are God's hosts? So, they're the angels for sure, and Israel. Okay, so there are When we talk about God having a host, and we're talking about Am Yisrael, we're talking about the Jewish people. The angels and the Jewish people are considered God's hosts. Daheinu Kadosh Baruch Hu moshe ummani bemishpat et kol tzeva'otav. That Hashem is he dominates, he rules over, and he governs bemishpat, through judgment, all of his hosts. Now, we're going to have a question. How does God judge the angels? But there's a pasuk, we'll see. God judges the angels. He judges us, that's for sure. He judges the angels. The angels have no free will. How can they ever be guilty of anything? How How and why should they be judged? It's a good question. But when we understand that God is judging all of his hosts, the hosts are tzeva hashamayim, for sure that means the heavenly hosts. That's the malachim shel ma'alah. God is judging them as well as us, Yisrael sheheim tzeva'ot Hashem lematah. We are God's hosts down [snorts] below. By the way, we have 12, I'll call it um months. There's different uh zodiac, there's different constellations, different mazalot that each one of the 12 tribes, it's not just a um theoretical academic idea that the Jews, and I'm going to mention these names even though I kind of feel I a little bit regret they shouldn't give them any airtime, but Nick Fuentes and Candace Owens and Tucker, they're actually right. The Jews run the world. We do. We are right? Elyon. Hashem placed us elyon al kol We are supreme. Now, not that we're any better, but that we have a job. We have a tafkid. So, we have a tafkid and what we do matters, right? What every Jew does. All deeds matter. What we do makes a difference. And when we, as the Torah says, when we're doing God's will, there'll be peace in the world. And when we're not doing God's will, there won't be peace in the world. There's nothing apologetic about it. It's our fault the Mashiach's not here. Okay? So, in the sense that they are very, very right. They just don't know how right they are. And um the what every should really be doing is helping us in our tafkid, assisting us, making sure that we are keeping the Torah, and helping us, right? In a in a real sense, not working against us. But Hashem's running the world, and he's sending us a message through them. And many Jews since October 7th, since that Black Sabbath, have have have awoken. But anyway, what he says is that not only are the heavenly hosts, or not only the Jews, but the heavenly hosts as well. Ki gam hamalachim yire'im mehamishpat. That even the heavenly hosts tremble that they're going to be judged. Kamot she'anu, like we're saying in the Unetaneh Tokef prayer. We say these words. Umalachim yechafezun vachil radah yochazun. Veyomru hinei yom hadin lifkod al tzeva marom badin. Right? And we say, "And the angels will hasten. They will be seized with terror and trepidation." That's what the angels are saying, "Here comes the day of judgment to pass judgment on the heavenly hosts." And ki gam elahim katuv, in Job. Look at Job chapter 4 verse 18. It's clear. Behold, "He does not trust his servants." Hein ba'avadav lo ya'amin. And his angels, he doesn't trace them trust them either. Reproach upon his angel. He cast reproach upon his angels. Umalachav yasim tahalah. Tahalah is a language of folly, holalut, according to Rashi. So, there's a certain This is a pasuk in Job. You can't get around it. The angels are going to be judged, and they know they're going to be judged. And they have fear, and they have um Right? They're They're They're going to experience trepidation. K'vyachol yesh l'Kadosh Baruch Hu ta'anot aleihem. This is now the question. How can Hashem have any claim? Stick to the text. How can Hashem have any claim on his angels? The angels do not have free will. So, what does he say? Bivdai lo al aveiros osim. The judgment is nothing to do with anything that they did. They didn't do any aveiros cuz, right? They don't have free will. Mipnei she'ein lahem bechirah. What's the word bechirah? They have no free will. Al kol panim, bem'tzi'ut einam mushlamim. But the answer is, they're not perfect. Only God is perfect. Remember that? Only God is perfect. Therefore, they're also called called creatures. They were created, and they're not perfect. Lachein malachav yechafezun. Therefore, the angels will hasten. They will be frightened. Ki hein margishim sheheim muchsarim biyachas l'Shem Yisbarach. They actually have a feeling of imperfection in relation to God. God is perfect. They're imperfect, and they know it. Af al pi she'einam asheimim bachach. There's no guilt involved here. God created them imperfect. Great. Ve'eich im yecholim la'amod lifnei anav uleshar'to? And they're wondering, right? How could they, as imperfect beings, stand in front of God and serve him because he is great? And the pasuk says, "Veyigba Hashem Tzevaot bamishpat." Right? This is the original verse in Isaiah chapter 5 verse 16. That's the That's the pasuk we're dealing with, which I'll say again. "And the Lord of hosts will be exalted in judgment." He's When he judges, like he's judging the Iranians. When he's judging the Houthis. When he's judging Hezbollah. And believe me, he's judging them. Right? You can just open your eyes and see how it's going to play out. Sometimes he lays He raises them, like the Egyptians. And then they What do they say? The higher you are, the harder you fall, right? They're so full of themselves. There's >> [cough] >> you know, there's tactics that a king a king would do in war. So, Hashem is the King of kings. He's got all the tactics. Al tidak. Don't worry. >> [clears throat] >> So, [snorts] the last thing we said was that these angels, they feel this imperfection in relation to Hashem, even though they're not guilty of anything. How can they possibly stand before Hashem and serve him? As we said that the the yigba Hashem Tzevaot bamishpat. Hashem is raised. Hashem is becomes greater through his mishpat. Then the whole world will see who it is. Aidei mishpat umalachim u'Yisrael. And how does God become great through his judgment? Again, back to the original idea. He's going to be judging obviously the whole world, but through his angels and Am Yisrael, the Jewish people. Ne'ehav Hashem Yisborach Yiru, that Hashem himself will be feared by the people. Mugbah Umromam, he will be exalted and feared. When it says Hakel Hakadosh, so this is part of a whole statement. We're going to end the brocha with Hamelch Hakadosh. But Hakel Hakadosh is part of a phrase. The Shem El, when we think of El being a name of God, you know what it reminds me? I have to say, you know, the the Islamists, right? They have a name of God called Allah. Am I pronouncing it right? I don't know. So, Allah. So, what they actually, you know, what Islam means to succumb and submit and to be Hakna'ah, submissive, right? Because the name Kel, we're going to see, is a language of Takif v'Chazak, which means might and power. Okay, so that's how they view God. That's the name, that's the main name. I Maybe they have other names of God, I don't know. Cuz all of our names is not a different God, but it's the same God who manifests himself in different conduct, through different modes of conduct. So, this particular name, Hakel, but it's mixed with Kadosh. Kadosh, we're going to see, is a language of separation. But let's just use the the regular vernacular. Hakel Hakadosh means, and the holy God. The whole verse is, and the holy God is sanctified in charity. That's the whole verse. We'll get to the second part in a second. So, the name Kel, Aleph Lamed, is a language of Takif v'Chazak, might and power. Kakasuv, it's like it says in Ezekiel chapter 17 verse 13, "V'es Eleh Ha'aretz Lukach." And he took among the mighty of the land. Okay, so we're talking about an exile that's taking place. The mighty of the land is the the people who are strong. Who? Takifei Ha'aretz, the mighty of the land. That's how we understand the verse. And that is clear from the Sefer Hashorashim, according to the Radak. And he uses What does it mean? Ayil or El? Okay, so that means Chazak, and strong and mighty. V'hu Shem M'vatech Chesed Hashem. Now, even though we're looking at it as at first glance that it means mighty and strong, the actual name using the God uses, Kel, is actually an expression of his loving kindness. And this is really where the the Jewish people are unique, right? We're talking about that God is one, but he's Hashem Elokeinu, he's mercy and judgment together, Hashem Echad. Whereas the Christians, they're all, yeah, it's all loving kindness, you can do whatever you want. The Muslims, the Islamists, like it's just din and judgment. Right? Just like, interesting that the Muslims use just a lunar calendar, the Christians use just a solar calendar. But then the Jews, we're not the only ones, I think the Chinese, whatever, but our our religion is the original. But we use we understand both, you need both. There has to be in our religion, we have both, we use both calendars, the lunar and the solar. It's the perfect One day the whole world will wake up and see the Jews are right down the middle. Right down the middle. Right? Anything that makes sense. You heard You heard that, Candace? Okay. >> [laughter] >> Kol Omar, Hakel is Takif v'Gadol b'Chesed. So, what we're saying, yes, it's mighty in great kindness. That's how we're going to look at it. He's mighty in great kindness. So, that takes care of the word Hakel. What about Hakadosh? So, Kadosh actually means separate. But even that means supreme. Because when you separate something, you're putting it above or the very fact that you're separating it, you're sanctifying it, right? It's separate. Shehu Mufrash Umudav. Mehavanateinu. What we're actually saying is God is actually a separate and beyond our comprehension. It's We cannot We cannot fully comprehend God. So, Nikdash b'Tzedek is the latter part of that verse, that he's sanctified through charity. Hitromam May'al L'hasagaseinu. Ayedei Hatzedakos Hamrubos Hanifla'osav Imano. That God is Mitromam, way above above our understanding, right? Hasagaseinu. Through his kindness, Tzedakos, that is Merubos, it's just so plentiful, you cannot count it. But it's good, it's not a bad idea to sit around and talk about all the kindnesses that Hashem has done for us, right? We think about Hallel, we do Hallel, think about what we did on Pesach. It's not a bad idea to do this regularly, to to to to express our gratitude and our thankfulness for Hashem's plentiful kindness. V'hanifla'osav Imano. The wonder The wonder is it's like beyond comprehension that he She'osav Imano, that he does for us. She'ein b'cholateinu L'hakif Rov Tzedakosav Imano. It's actually with not within our ability to take in such, you know, to to really grasp this great kindness that he does with us. But we have to try, we have to try to express it. V'nimtza, so what does it come out? Shekatuve Po Shnei Dvarim. Actually written here two ideas in the verse of Isaiah, which we mentioned was in chapter I think it was chapter five, verse 16. There's two ideas expressed in this verse. Michad Gisa, in one aspect, right? It says Mishpatei Mishpat Hashem, we are talking about the judgment of God. Af Hu M'mutach B'rachamim. So, it's definitely judgment, but it is sweetened with mercy. I don't know if anybody has this custom, on Friday night we take the wine, the grape juice, and you add just one little drop of water. The idea, it's not a Chasidic idea, it's Judaism. We want to sweeten din. Red represents din, we know in Yom Kippur the red ribbon on the goat and and on the waist of the Kohen Gadol. So, we have this idea, well, it's water, but water could certainly represent mercy, but it's considered white in relation to the wine, and therefore add a little bit of mercy into the wine. It's a good idea. It's a good idea. Umadigagisa, on the other hand, perhaps there's another way to look at it, and that was Tzidkas Hashem Hagdola. Just the idea of God's grandeur in his Chesed, in his kindness, it's just beyond our comprehension. Two ways to look at So, now there's a question. Yesh L'shoel Mamai Yaches. It says Kakasuv. And we see we're going to see a lot of times the word Kakasuv in the davening of Rosh Hashanah, as it's written, as it's written. What do you need to tell me, as it's written? So, there's an answer. Tshuvaso Hi. Kadosh Ata. So, we're saying, God, you are holy. What does that mean? It's a raya from what it says um at the end of the pasuk. The end of pasuk says, Hakel Hakadosh Nikda Nikdash b'Tzedek. That you are holy and you are sanctified. Again, the word Nikdash. Not just sanctified, separate. In your Beyond your Beyond our comprehension in the kindness that he gives off. But we also say Nora Shimecha, your name is awesome. What's that a raya? Raya is from also part of the verse in in Isaiah. Yigdal Hashem Tzevakos b'Mishpat. God himself is elevated through his judgments. Again, we're going to see and we've been seeing a lot of judgments. The whole world has to wake up to see it. Ki Ayedei Mishpat Romem Mityareh Shmo Yisborach. That through God's judgments, he is raised and feared. People will fear his name. Now, how do How does the brocha end? Boruch Ata Hashem Hamelch Hakadosh. Remember, during the whole 10 days of Tshuva, right? Starts in Rosh Hashanah until Yom Kippur, including Hamelch Hakadosh. Now, I heard when I first became religious that we really should be saying Hamelch Hakadosh the whole year. But we're not holy enough, we're not We don't have the clarity. So, it's Hakel Hakadosh. But all of a sudden everything changes. These are the 10 days that we're closest to Hashem. So, what does it mean Hamelch Hakadosh? And I think Rabbi Flack spoke a little bit about this, or somebody, maybe it was Zach Hanukkah, who mentioned Hamelch is Mityaches. The idea that we call him king, it relates to the idea Sheyigdal Hashem Tzevakos b'Mishpat. That it relates to the idea of the part of the verse where it says God is elevated um through judging his house. What happens? Keep in mind it's through his judgment over Israel. Get it? You not They're not getting it. It's through the judgment of Israel that God is being elevated as king. Right? Walk. If this no kings really God. We want We're We want Messiah now, right? We're We're looking forward. Anyway, in the meantime, we're talking about the kingdom of God is carried is more recognized. Let me just finish the paragraph. This is carried through the judgment. What about Kadosh? We said that means separation. Kadosh but Sadoqa. That means who moved out the Soga Tenu. He his great amount his immense charity is what actually separates him from our comprehension. We just cannot comprehend this. Who has seen a brocha who may in a Katima? Therefore, the last words of the brocha are within the theme of the main part of the brocha. That happens to be a the the signing off the signature of the brocha is I'm not going to say summary but in a certain sense it's a summary of the theme of the entire paragraph. Okay, last paragraph. Yesh Hashem the Let's try to understand this. It seems that the word Melech and the word Kadosh are so extreme that they that they contradict or they work against each other, right? So, Melech we is within our comprehension to a certain extent and we're able to recognize God's greatness through his judgment. Whereas Kadosh we said it's beyond our comprehension. Almost like it's unrelatable. Well, he says he hit our the office the Kadosh the Soga Tenu Benu Benu. And I think this is what Rabbi Flax was speaking about that the description of the king is related to Kadosh as an expression that relates between us. There's actually a relationship between us and the king. I mean, by the way, the king may work out where he is you know, the son of the previous king, right? You not has to be from Yehuda and has to be specifically from David and Solomon. But the idea is that it is an I'm going to use the word elected position. He has to be accepted by the people. >> [snorts] >> The king actually has to be accepted by the people to be the king. Otherwise, he's a Mosha. The tyrant and the ruler. The king has a good positive relationship. He's there to protect the people to provide. Right? That's what Trump tried to get into office by saying he's going to provide a greater economy. That's the job of the king. To provide a good economy and safety. >> [snorts] >> I knew Malkenu. That who Malkenu? That he's our king meaning who's he is a sick Manu Manu Genu. So, he's involved with us and he is acting as a governor. He's somehow protecting us. Whereas Kadosh is Mashma Mufrash and moved out Metanu. Whereas Kadosh has the impression that there's a distancing that there's seemingly little relationship. It's not divorce but Rahoq. There's some kind of distancing from us. So, one is a more an intimate loving kind of person who's caring and the other one is seemingly distant. Seemingly. A true way he the answer that Rabbi Friedlander is giving us a Kains Barim Kani. They're both correct. [snorts] You need them both. The Baruch is Malkenu. He is our king. A Tupa Banu Ace Mufrash the Ace you may Tshuver. The Malkus Hashem is the Bitoi who done Otano. So, as king so he is Metapel. He He is involved with us the Colace at all moments specifically during the 10 days of Tshuver or especially during the 10 days he's Malkus Hashem is the Bitoi that it's coming almost as a revelation, right? It's being revealed to us through his judgment. By judging us that that he's acting as king. Yachad M'zous. Now, together with that Alenu Ladat it's upon us to know the Kadosh is Mufrash and moved out the Briah that there is some kind of separation going on with between God and creation. There's a distancing. But the truth is who a Melech Kadosh. That's how we refer to God as the holy king. Together, he's holy and he's a king. Now, there's a very large footnote and I'd like to go through it. He says like this. Cuz that is how does God act as king and Kadosh at the same time? But Derek the Gro uh According to this way the Gro explains in a Pussic in uh Psalms 113. Now, let me read it to you now. It's scattered in Hebrew throughout. So, I'll read the English and then we'll break apart the Hebrew a little bit. High above all nations is Hashem. His glory is above the heavens. Okay. Who is like Hashem our God whose abode is on high? Yet he lowers himself to see the things that are on heaven and earth. That's the Pussic. So, let's go through Ram Alkol Hashem. Hashem is above all the nations. Sham Ruim is Romuto the car that the nations they able to see. When I say nations I'm talking about the They're able to see the greatness of God the height the highness he's high. Al Hashem K'vodo. His glory is above the heavens. He Mish K'vodo Baruch Kol Briah. They come to an admission or acknowledgement. Yes, there must be a God who created everything. Ah, however, he She Mashkiach. Right? Cuz the truth is they only have Hashkacha Klalit. But they're recognizing from their point of view this God So, he created the heavens and the earth but he's too high. He's too holy. He's not going to get involved with us lowly creatures. She Mashkiach Asik in Prati in the Briah. He's not going to be involved with the details of creation She Arts that are here in this world. Kize Paqitut Edar K'vod Bishvilu. This is beyond below his dignity, right? It's too much of an inferior thing for him to be involved with. The only only but what do we say his glory is above the heavens? Um Mika Hashem >> [snorts] >> Elokenu M'bihi the Shevis. Right? Who is like our God whose abode is in the heaven the high heavens? That's what we're going to say. Who moved out We're recognizing that he is separate from the creation. The not only the angels and the the lower world Bishava equally. Do I tell he became he a Mash Leros Bishamayim Arts. Nevertheless, his greatness is his greatness is that he is as the Pussic says that he lowers himself to see the things that are in heaven and earth. Who Mash Asma Asik in Briah. That he lowers himself to be involved. This is how we think. This is how right? That the same God that is way up there he himself is so humble that he's also involved in this world as we say Hashkacha Prati. Gum Hit As Kut the Malachim She Shamayim. Zui Hashvela Bishvilu Otamida She Metapel the Gashmi Briah. That when God deals with the angels it's equal. It's just as lowering. He's lowering himself from his abode in heaven just to deal with the angels the same way he deals with us with all of creation. Kihu Yesh Baruch M'zous Mufrash and moved out the Kulan Bishava. That Hashem uh is from his aspect is is just as separated um from all of creation. Kihu Bli Sof G'vul. He's God is without any limit. He's unlimited. God is unlimited and even the angels are limited and the human beings are limited and everything in this world is limited. How does an unlimited infinite being relate to the to a limited world to a finite world? Imkain who Rahoq M'kol Nivrashi Yesh G'vul. Just by nature he's going to be distance from anything that is limited. Kol Malachim including the angels the Mida Shava equally. And what it really comes down to in truth is my beer the shove it. My beer the shove it that he um that he's glorious above in heaven says true whose abode is on high. Nevertheless, he's my period the shove it. Nevertheless, he is he lowers himself to see the things that are heaven and on earth. And I just want to show you a graph. There is this idea that Rabbi Flack spoke about that before we do a a mitzvah, it's called cover on the mitzvah so we should have in mind what is a mitzvah? What is the definition of mitzvah? A mitzvah is to the word the root is shove it. Like shove it. It's it's to couple together. It's to group together. Like a shove it is a group of people with a common goal. It's called the cover to unify. That is actually Rashi explains the word mitzvah twice at least that I know of in Shas for to he's like translates the word or explains the word mitzvah as the cover. When we do a mitzvah, we unite with Hashem. Or better yet, we're seeing we're even uniting Hashem. The Yud Hey with the Vav Hey. And how does that work? I couldn't find my uh map my whatever my little poster. But there's a thing called at bash. At bash is where the aleph equals the tough. That works in Gematria so one could be 400. Right? Or just replace the letters. Bet with shin. Gimmel right with the the second the third to the last letter. Um is resh. So that's at bash. And if you look up at bash in Wikipedia it'll say this is how Americans won the war against Japan because there was a code similar to pig Latin that it's ancient Jewish tradition. Okay? That's what it says in Wikipedia. It's called at bash and they used this I think the American Indians were the ones who were actually involved with using it against Japan. You know, the American Indians were on our side. Uh you know what I mean. And so they were great guys in the war. Anyway, so the word mitzvah in itself means the cover. We want to connect the Yud Hey and the Vav Hey. Isn't that what that incantation and that Yero Tsonis all about? So aleph like fine you got the at bash. So if I had the thing in front of you you would see and you could look it up. The mem and tsadik Okay, you have the Vav and the Hey already. Vav Hey is the last two letters of God's name. The mem and the tsadik and the at bash is Yud and Hey. So what you're doing when you're doing a mitzvah I should have prefaced this. There's a statement that says where you find God's greatness that's where you find his humility. Mhm. Okay? If you take the mem and tsadik which is really Yud and Hey, you're doing a mitzvah. You're you're you're uniting the Yud and the Hey to the Vav and the Hey. That's what you're actually doing. But when you look at all the letters every letter has what they call a Gematria milui. What's a Gematria milui? It's where you take the letter and you make a word out of it. So aleph is not just a letter. Aleph which represents one but the word aleph aleph lamed pay which is a word but it also has a Gematria. Happens to be 111. Right? Cuz you have aleph lamed pay. Lamed and pay you have 80 and 30 and one. So you have 111. Uh bet bet you tough. So that's 410. Right? Like every letter is actually a word. So the Yud the Hey and the Vav and you actually have another Hey. It's less than. So I think that the lamed and the gimmel they have Gematria 73 74 and then they're off the charts into the hundreds and 200 300s. But it's the Yud and the Hey and the Vav and the Hey. If you add it all together, it's like 54. It's less than even one other letter. So in other words, where God's greatness is in the Yud and the Hey and the Vav and the Hey which is his name which somehow represents uh a certain character trait of his or maybe it's even the Godhead however you want to look at the name Yud Kay Vav Kay where you find his greatness you find his humility. And the last part of this was yet he lowers himself to see the things that are in heaven and earth. That he created the language in which he created the entire universe from. He created the alphabet. The alphabet. Right? And his own name that he chose for himself is the lowest in all of the Gematrias like you look up any dictionary. Even if one word one letter is a word it's still the Yud Kay Vav Kay is less than any other letter. So this just really you know brings home this idea. Um just as a side point you know the Christians we said by going that they feel that God is way up there and um they can't relate to him, right? He's not involved with the nitty-gritty of we we believe he is. Even though he is, he lowers himself to see the things that are in heaven and earth. So they had to create they did they basically created a they're not the only ones a man-made religion. That's why the you know in the Far East they have this whole idea of different little idols that you can relate to for rain or whatever it is different love I don't know whatever it is. They have these idols basically. Cuz they believe yes there was a God that created the world but he's just way up there. We believe we have a relation a real relationship with God. We don't need any you know what the Christians came to believe what it was just the one kufa it was just one time that he roamed the earth. Hashem is with us. Yet he lowers himself to see the things that are on heaven and earth and that always was way before right? The year the goyish year of 2000. This is all the ways the way it was and it's always the way it will be. With Hashem we'll see the coming Messiah Tzidkenu the real true Messiah the gathering of the exiles the rebuilding of the temple the peace the real peace. Uh not this temporary ceasefires and all that stuff. But the real peace soon our days the main one I will see you next week. Amen. >> [music] [singing] [music] [singing] [music] [singing] [music] [singing] [music]