Deep Meaning of The Asher Yotzer Prayer with Rabbi Kalman Flaks

Heat. [music] Heat. [singing] [music] [singing] >> [music and singing] [music and singing] >> Why don't we begin with a little niggan? >> Uh maybe my voice a little ready. Let's sing a little and we'll try to connect the niggan the song to uh what we're going to do tonight. Halo by My love my hosana. Okay. So, we're going to dedicate our Torah study to the protection of the whole Jewish people. in particular all of our and all anyone who needs a healing as we'll learn more about anyone who needs bias anyone who needs a zeb anyone who needs any issu protect them so we're continuing our our series in here at will tonight be uh jumping into the adventure of a yatsar it likely will be a two-part cheer we'll see how far we can get in and I'm very excited uh to learn with you guys. Um actually I'm just very excited to learn. I've been learning all day about Asher and that's the best part about giving this year that I get to remind myself of the powerful powerful Toras and teachings in our sitter and hopefully at the end of it we'll all walk out more excited to say our asher every day. Thank you so much to everyone for being here, being present. It's a great um so let's begin. I want to just note that this is my favorite. I love uh honestly the one thing I love about it is the fact that you know I've traveled in many many different places all over the world. You know, I'm in an airport in Jordan or Papua or Zimbabwe, whatever, and you know, I go to the bathroom and I'm like saying this blessing and I'm connecting to God and all sorts of people are looking at me funny. And I have a weird thing that I get a little bit of pleasure out of that. And sometimes I'll even be enough to come up to me and be like, "What are you doing? Are you like talking to yourself?" And I'll be like, "No, I'm thanking God for my body." And always their reaction is like, "Oh, that's so beautiful. It's such a beautiful concept to like wherever you're going to take a moment, just appreciate, just thank God, uh, stop your day and just really appreciate it." Or even if your mind's wandering off to a million different worlds, uh, just to stop and try to connect to Hashem. That's already very valuable in my opinion. So, it happens to me. I love Asher Yasar uh, very much. And uh every year my commitment is uh to get better in actually having kavana and ashy yatsar. Uh it's not easy. The force of habit is that often we get into these habits of just we're in a rush and is right in the middle of everything. And so we need constant to remind ourselves to stop, drop, and bless with kavana. And uh hopefully that's what this year is doing for us. Maybe then we can brainstorm together about ways to practically anchor our day uh in Kavana with Ashayatsar. Um but uh first let's deepen our understanding of how powerful and how beautiful this is. So Ashar start with the following. Asher is a strange blessing. We're not really sure how to categorize it. The comes with this whole discussion. And he's like very confused as to what exactly is the in other words is it a shakar it's in the garra in the 60th page of brahos very close to the other but the other are we're generally thanking God for something and we say it one sentence and it's snappy and then we just say it once a day. For example, every day we thank God for our eyes. We get to the point, we thank Hashem for it, we move on. We don't every time we open up our eyes, you know, thank God because that we can see. We do it once, we're good to go, right? So, what is this ash that we say it in be morning and then we say it again later and every time we go to the bathroom? What What is it? What's going on there? It's weird. Yeah. Second question, every other let's say it's a so you're gonna get a pleasure. You're gonna say, you have the coffee here. You say the braha afterwards. And it's not just like thanks for the for the drink. It's like this whole and then you know it's impossible to survive without what's the difference between it's like this whole thing. It's like what what is this? What is this braha? It's it's long. It's confusing. And like we all know at the end of the day, what are we really thanking God for when we say ours? The ability to go to the bathroom. Yeah. But just you read the actual text, we're going to read it together. It doesn't really mention thank you God for being it's going this whole thing about God created these orififices and like what is what is going on here? What is the essence of this blessing? Yeah, that's the first question asks. So one beautiful answer is given by uh the shilas vuvas uh min shamayim who is that there's a rabbi in the 13th century I think he wrote down his name uh I'll look it up and he wrote in the 13th century he had questions and so he would do a he would ask the heavens go to sleep and come back with answers. And then he wrote down his answers in a book. Okay, pretty cool, right? It's a real You could look it up. I looked it up today in Safaria. You can actually look up this chuva. Okay, it's all it's all online. It's free. It's a real book. Okay, so he answers the following answer. He says, "You know what we're really doing? We're doing a it's very similar to the hag we say after miracles happen to us right we were in the desert we were in jail we're in a dangerous situation and so we have to thank God and we go in front of the in front of 10 people we say it's it's a special thanking God for something miraculous that happened so it says that he asked what's the essence and in heaven they answered him It's like a beer go because one of the categories of someone who has to say a go is someone who was sick and all of us are categorized essentially as being sick because at any given moment especially if you're indoors especially during the winter there's all sorts of microbes and diseases and bacteria. I don't want to freak anybody out but there's all sorts of crazy things going through our body. Okay? And it's an absolute miracle that we're still breathing right now. We have this crazy watch some YouTube videos. They have animated ones now with this immune system fighting the white cells and the I don't remember all the different cells. Ask your local uh local orthodox doctor and they'll tell you about all what's going on. Crazy things going on and somehow miraculously we're still alive. So you have to say it's one thing to go to Azen to survive and we feel like God did a miracle. The problem is we're used to living. We're used to breathing. So we take it for granted. But the truth is reminds us that every moment that we breathe is mamish a miracle. So it's like a and we have to say this whole special thanking thanking God. Schwab quotes the the RV from the Mir who would say that every time he goes out of the bathroom he should really send a telegram back in the day to his family say I'm okay I survived everything's okay you know that's what we really should do but you know we're used to it we're used to our body functioning so we take it for granted so is like a little bit like um like a says the schlaw the schlaw in the 16th century was the godhur the end of his life. He moved here to crazy story. Got captured by uh by someh and then he got uh retaken back and uh we ransomed him. He his house is in the old city right next to the Anyways, so the schwah has an amazing answer. He he points before I get to the answer, I'll tell you how he gets there. We've been learning how the are in order. When you wake up, you think of him. Oh, I open my eyes. I can move and you then what would naturally be the order would be and then I go to the bathroom. You can't go to the bathroom until you stand up, open up your eyes, right? But interestingly enough, that's not actually the sad and the garra. First we do it as he spoke about and then we do and then we do all the other. So what gives? Why do we do it in order? So the schlah says because the is the it's the beginning it's the foundation of the it's the essence of all the other gratitudes to hashem and because it's so fundamental we can't just say it once we have to bring it all throughout our day because it's not only about the ability to go to the bathroom that's only one heart, but it's really about thanking Hashem in general for the creation of man. That's really what is about. And the time we take to remind oursel to kind of anchor ourselves in our consciousness of thanking God that we're alive is when we go to the bathroom. But really the essence is thanking God in general for being alive. So it's the ro, it's the head and the beginning is really the essence of everything. That's why AR really writes about this. It's the portal to having a successful day is they say with a lot of we'll talk more about this when get into and every time we say we're basically opening up we're opening up funnels to bring blessing into our lives. blessings of appre of consciousness, blessings of appreciation and literal metaphysical, spiritual and physical blessings that are actually flowing into our lives every time. the time that we get to start off that whole process the foundation on the foundation is ashar and the good news is even if you kind of you know in the morning you're dozing off you didn't say was kavana you get a second chance and a third chance and for me many many depends how many coffees you have that day many many opportunities to start again recharge and say oh okay I was a little out of disconnected you know I'm going And that's why I like coffees. It's a two for one. You get the shag and are so many so many you get to go. You get to say um in any case that's that's what it's the beginning. By the way, that's why there were muscans. Let's say he went to the bath. He went to bed and he didn't go to the bathroom in the morning. Right? In this generation, it's hard to imagine such a thing. But in the olden days, the people didn't drink so much that you would wake up. You didn't I don't have to go to the bathroom. You say so but the says yes. Okay. Why? Because it's not only thanking God for be able to go to the bathroom. It's a general thanking God for being alive. And we'll try to see that when we actually get into the words of the braha itself. Okay. So this is the says the ha. Now um the points out that the the key to be connected to for him was saying blessings on your sh your mus that for the as holy as he was in spot was this amazing what's what's the rale behind that because this is the most tangible way to connect to a kadesh in other words it's very I'm going to connect to hem in my hala in my aashir beautiful you're you're amazing but for most people it's hard to connect to hashem when you're just uh saying to him but when you have something very physical a pleasure you know you have that gishmaka whatever it is pizza or coffee or going to the bathroom which is something which we all know is so pleasurable the bra says it's a taste of the next world to be able to go to the bathroom it's one of the three things compared to the haba just when you get get relieve yourself when you when you're soft. So that is the way to connect that to aes to connect that physical pleasure to that is the most easy and tried and tested way to really feel God's presence in our day and to you can use this throughout your because the goal at the end of the day is to always feel connected to Hashem to always be looking for the to always feel that gratitude but it's not so easy some people always feel that amazing good for them but these are ways to anchor our our our our day practically speaking in hakar to and so ashray is that unbelievable opportunity. Now, a few more. I just uh I found his name. Yakov Mimarish 13th century. There we go. He says it's like a beer. Very good. One more word. What? >> Yakov Mimarish. Look it up in Google and he was he wrote the one of the only I think the only one where he actually asked questions to the heavens and they gave him answers. Pretty wild. The interesting thing is sometimes we pus it against the but uh that's good to know if you learn nothing else from coming out tonight you learn about this wonderful safer. So I want to say maybe the most important and famous for is the who wrote the right we learned about him in the who remembers he's the author of the modi the rabbi remembers right he wrote the moda ani uh or moda ani for women folks but in any case um he was a student of the Ariza And if you look at any of the colorful Asherats posters, they quote they say their he writes the following. Anyone who says yatser with concentration won't be sick all of his days and won't need a doctor for his healing. Pretty good, right? Save yourself a lot of money. You don't have to go to doctor. Just ask your doctor with cabana. Sorry for all the doctors out there. not trying to steal your business, but you know, there's some people who didn't won't come to this year, so you can still help them out. Um, in any case, that's what says. So, what's up? Why is it that saying will get rid of your diseases? It's a preventative uh medicine. Any any ideas? What do you guys think? How does it help? Prevention. [snorts] >> Prevention. >> But how does it prevent it? In what way does saying prevent the >> energy? >> But but how how by saying a bunch of words does that create that energy? >> Yeah. >> Articulating. >> You're articulating what? >> Of the miracle of life. of the miracle of every day. >> Ah, you're recognizing and articulating the miracle of life. Okay. Beautiful. Okay. So, I was thinking of um based on rapinists expressing it in the following way. Imagine I it's a bit of a weird motel, but just go with me. I am a [snorts] salesman of scooters. I make scooters. And some guy comes up to me says, "Listen, Rabbi, I know you don't You're a nice guy and I really don't have the money. Can you please lend me a scooter? You have a lot of scooters in your garage. Can you, you know, can I borrow it from you? I say, you know what? You're a nice guy. Just make sure you use it for good purposes. And uh and he does. And I lend it to him. Let's call this guy uh Mishi. So now, where do I see Mishi? All the time. Mishi's smiling all the time. Every couple of days, Mishi comes and says, "Thank you so much. from Colum and I love this scooter. Not only that, whenever I need a 10th man for my minion, my she scoots right over. He's my minion man. Whenever I need a guy for my Frisbee game, you know, be the the the sixth guy for my three on three. M says, "Yeah, I'll use your scooter. You bar lend me a scooter. I'm going to scooter over." And he's always smiling and he's always so appreciative. And then one day the scooter is breaks a little bit. Misha doesn't have the money to fix it up. He says, "Yo, can you maybe fix up the scooter? Do me a favor." So, what am I going to say? Of course, you're such a nice guy. You're so appreciative. I want to help. I want to I want I'm I want to help you. And he say, "Oh, thank you so much. I really appreciate." Now, look at another guy. I give Joey, same story. He comes to me with this scooter. I say, "Just Joey, make sure you use this scooter for good purposes." Yeah. From then on, I basically never see Joey again. He never comes and says thank you to me. He's doing his own thing. And not only that, I sometimes see him putting up signs, you know, 7 o'clock um, you know, poker game on the other side of Emma Rafaim Street, lend, you know, taking people away with his scooter from my my shear. He never comes to play Frisbee with me and and he's doing things that are against the ways that I'd be happy with. He's doing silly things and he never is appreciative. And his scooter also breaks. So, do I really want to help him fix his scooter? Maybe I'll do it, but it's gonna cost him a pretty penny. I'll put I'll put it that way. You know, he's gonna have to pay for it, right? That's sounds reasonable enough. Okay. So, that's my scooter mushroom. So, in the same way, a person every day says, what are we basically saying like we began with in our in ourem this is your body. It's not my body. Thank you so much. Every moment is is a gift. I really appreciate it and I'm going to try to use my body to serve you to to do mitzvah and I really really appreciate this body and even if I sometimes get distracted and messed up I I really really do appreciate this holy body. So now when I have some issues with my body, Hashem is going to more easily fix my body without charging too much. Yeah. other people he might fix it up but it's it's gonna cost them a pretty penny in this world or the next world. Yeah. So that's my mush for trying to understand what is saying by doing this um by by telling us the try it at home see if it works for you with lot of kavana and hopefully you can save some doctor's bills uh there are lots of wondrous stories literally many many many stories can look it up about the power of yatsar uh there's a story they say would say that any that you have if you have a kavana in your ash you can have a specific kavana for someone who's sick and it can and it works it can really heal people I heard stories about a guy whose son was 6 years old and he had never spoken and he started putting up usher yatsar posters all over the place 300 posters and miraculously the next morning the kids started speaking I've heard lots of stories there's a lot of stories out there but uh try it yourself see try the mah health uh game and see if it will help your health. Yeah. >> Yeah. So, I want to get to some of the while we're on the topic. It is important the writes that when you're saying, you should just stop, drop, and bless. Don't do anything else. Don't be drying your hands. Don't do any jumping jacks. You know, just it's hard, but just stop. Say the blessing, have kavana. You know the used to actually carry around a sitter and and say it out of his own s and the would do the same thing in a special packet a special kavanote and you would read from it. Luckily nowadays there's ashy posters in many many places so you don't necessarily have to schlup around a big poster. Maybe maybe it's a good idea. Maybe it'll help us have extra kavana. I think it's a nice idea. But um the stipler also suggests that you should literally point to every word. Not that he didn't know it by heart. I think he knew it by heart. But the point is that our mind wanders anything that's as says anything that you do quite often it's going to naturally our mind is going to wander off more naturally. Right? So you have to think of different strategies to get our mind to not wander off into La La Land. pointing at every letter is a very effective method. Reading it from a sitter or from the posters can be very helpful. Uh we can think of other ideas. You know, thinking of nice songs. I once invented an ashar song because you know there's so many good songs but there's you want to hear it and so on and so on. Yes. The tune is not my own if you haven't noticed. But uh it's a good song. No, I think we should one day when I'm a famous Jewish musician, I'll I'll tell uh Catats to uh to tell people get the word out, tell you. Um anyways, but uh that's that I think it's helpful. Anyways, uh those are some good ideas. Um I also want to note that theim would really really focus on a lot of stories about who would put extra emphasis on ash with they say who is in my side of town by said that his ashar was like higher than he's more they say that by the sons that the only he needed for the kios was just to see him say ashyats and you know people had traveled from far just to see him say an ashar and the same thing when he was it was like seeing his ashar and so uh you know ashayat is what separates the boys from the men it really like if you could stop and say it with kavana then maybe one day we'll tell stories about you also in the your ashayata with kavana and so uh it's by the way brings down a safer that saying is also leads you to do chuva you say with so it can also lead a person to go back to his soul and and return to his hashem properly I mentioned was once asked what should what could you do to raise up someone should I you know give a whiskey after and some rug should I learn a so he says no you should make an earnest in their honor now I don't know what that actually means because I don't speak Yiddish but I imagine was saying make a you know what I'm saying you make make an with a lot of kavan that's the highest level to bring up someone's soul so you want to do a favor for someone in the higher pearls may have them in mind for your usher or anyone who needs a Yeshua definitely uh to now let's get a little bit into the words of Asher itself has 45 words okay uh the gum itself in brings down the of so it's not like some of the other things which were evolved later in it's it's from the Talmud itself. It's absolutely it's not like just a nice thing to do. Absolute obligation. Um and um it's pretty clear in the Gmorra itself after you go to the bathroom you should say this. Um and the only thing that's a little unclear is that how we end the blessing is how we end it. It's actually taken from three different opinions in the Garra. uh and we put it all together into one into one ending. That's just the evolution of the text itself. They all al the other thing that is worth noting is that in some texts in allardim you'll notice that the usher includes the word that we couldn't stand even one moment. So apparently spartim couldn't stand even one moment without going to the bathroom. But as Ashkanaz and we can we can survive a couple of moments. No, it's just different gear says. Uh but um some actually explain that is an illusion to when giving birth at that first moment the baby in cannot survive even for a moment unless you open up its uh placenta. And so it's actually an illusion to the fact that it can't even survive for a second unless you it it opens up its mouth. So it's really a thanking God for birth for the miracle of birth. I thought it was a very nice explanation that I saw. Um anyway, so that's the basic the source of it and um what's interesting is that the of you look in the sixth chapter of the there's a whole longer trying to figure out the meaning behind each word in this is mamish unique. You don't find that by you don't find that by benching you mitzvah. You don't find by for some reason by the turns into you know art scroll and the prayer and he wants and everyone's trying to figure out the meaning of every word in so again it supports the schlaw's conception that this is the most fundamental braha of the day. It starts our our day and it's also the most confusing because we're not really sure what we're thanking Hashem. We're thanking him for so many different things and so everyone all the rabbis are trying to figure out what are we really trying to do here? What is a real deeper meaning behind the asher and that's what we're going to jump into right now to try to figure out uh what what's it all really about. Yeah, sounds good. Okay, let's do it. Oh, I for I was in the middle of saying it's 45 words. 45 words like the gamatria of Adam because is thanking God for the creation of man also the gamatria of why because what does Hashem ask of you to fear him and how do you fear him the garra and braas teaches us don't read it But it's a wherever it is maybe both don't read it what does God want from you rather God wants from you 100 God wants from you to say 100 blessings if you see is 100 blessings then you'll come to fear God and what is the most paradmatic example of the that's going to bring us to fear God because that's says that's the we say the most throughout our day Right. There's no other brah that we say as much as >> how much is it? >> How much? How many words? >> 100. >> Oh, how many? That depends on how many coffees you drink. You know, depends on the person. You know, that's a to each his own. But, uh, it's a good trick. It's a good trick. You know, if you want to make sure you get 100 bra, there are certain days we struggle to get our 100 braas in. So, uh, you know, that's why we drink so much kipper. So we get a lot of uh in to stop but the point is that this is the essence of [applause] man this is and this is the fundamental start of our day. Beautiful. Okay let's get into item that we've discussed before. Let's stop there. Who? How do we let's translate it? Yatsar. What does that mean? Who creates? Who created in the past tense? Who created man? Okay. Now, what other word could have have the rabbis used instead of who created man? But interestingly enough, it uses express. We know in braces B's it says and God formed man. He first created man. Well really he created everything and then he specifically formed man. Yatsar, right? There's three different of creation and buts. So what what does yatsar specifically canote? So bar seems like it's [snorts] something from nothing. The whole world to me yatsar is like when you're forming something very specifically like taking clay and making something that you want out of it. >> Right? Perhaps ysar is I'm just saying this might refer to the evolution of man. God guiding man to be evolving to such a beautiful complex way. But it seems like aar is talking about the fact that man is uniquely created with Hashem a divine intent to to specifically be for a specific okay the man this is a what do we what do we who created man with wisdom when we analyze that phrase It really could mean two different things. Who is the wise the the here? What is it? Who does it refer to? Either you could say who >> the creator created man with wisdom. Like God created man with a lot of wisdom or you could say that who does refer to >> man. That man was created with a lot of wis who created man with wisdom. You understand it? So this exact makus is brought up in toos and it's a makus. What does it mean? And the truth is it could be both. It could be there's a double connotation. So let's try to break it down and and and think of a few. Maybe let's start with the man interpretation. Who created man with wisdom? In what way is man created with a unique wisdom? Because the truth is the whole world was created with wisdom. Right? The commission says created the whole world with wisdom. In what way is man uniquely and choose >> free choice and that that's something that we have that others don't have. So maybe I didn't see this in but it's very good. Maybe we're thanking God for the ability to have uh to choose. And by the way it's a beautiful interpretation because the way we begin our week is the same thing. Abdullah recognizing the ability to distinguish also the first. So it's beautiful. It turns out to write this that the first we're thinking for the ability to have free will to distinguish to make to make the right decisions. Beautiful. Any other thoughts? What's unique about man? >> Speech. that we have the ability to speak and the first thing what we're saying in the day is and the first blessing we're saying is it depends. Some people say and some people wait to say later right before they and say first but in any case it's one of the first things we're using our mouth to thank Hashem for. Okay. What else? What else is the >> thinking? the ability to think in a controlled manner also true 100%. Raboak kind of puts together some of these interpretations and he says the we're thanking for is the ability to recognize Hashem as our creator. So he's starting out our day saying thank you with the what's that I can recognize that it's all from from you. That's what makes me smart that I can recognize the gifts of Yeah. So far so good. I like that shot. Second shot of you should read it inside. But basically what he says is that if you study the human body, that's going to lead you to recognize Hashem. That's the easiest way to come to prove God to an atheist is just show him your biology book and the complexity of the human organism and that itself is he says purify your heart and their love and fear of hashem will develop but just by studying biology. I remember I wonder I used to feel that way when I was studying AP biology and you see the complex >> anatomy biology physics chemistry whatever it is whatever you're studying in depth you realize the complexity of the human being and um and that is going to lead a person to do chuva and really I think I used that to give me a header to study for my AP biology test in 12th grade oh I'm using tora what's with and them coming close to Hashem. It really was inspiring. The truth is it is inspiring this the complexity of the human beings. That's a second uh understanding. Another says something actually refers to our immune system that it's amazing you know for for for us to understand the immune system and how to we would have to study biology for years and years and years and charts and all sorts of diagrams. But somehow our body is programmed that the white blood cells just know how to kill the red blood cells and you know attack and this and that and it's an unbelievable that we're thanking Hashem for that we can you know function and survive and that's uh that's the um a fourth interpretation the says I'll explain There's gumach of just the letters and it's something where you spell out the letters [clears throat] is and is [snorts] pay and is me and yeah you spell out the letter and if you add it up it also has meaning. So if you spell out it turns out it's 613. Okay. So Heashem created the world with and for Shem created man for the sake of the Torah. So our body is rooted to the Torah, right? Like the anatomy of the soul. We'll get back to that this week and maybe next week that the body and the soul are linked together. I think that's a theme that recurs. Okay, so we already have a few to think about just where are let's keep going and he created so now we're talking about first and then Bria kind of backwards order interesting um why we do that I don't know why think about it it's almost like maybe I'm thinking refers to the general picture that God had a plan for man Uvaro uh and he created um many many different parts of man. That's getting into the details. By the way, I think it might be a little hot and I see some people falling asleep. So, it might maybe it's possible to turn the heat down a little bit or open up some windows because I'm trying to be exciting, but you know, the heat's uh the heat's tough. Not so. Okay. What does mean? Cavities. Okay, you studied your arch folds. What does that mean for those of us who don't have such high vocabulary? What's a cavity? I know those who went to the dentist know what a cavity is, but a cavity is a hole, right? So, a cavity is different body parts that have holes in it. Okay? So, spec specifically, what's one of those that has holes in it? the ability to go to the bathroom. So maybe there's an illusion to that. Not just that, there are other body parts. By the way, some of them say really glands, sweat glands, but also some of these holes which uh which we're thanking God for. On the other hand, refers toal like spaces, different body parts that have spaces in it like the heart and different organs. So if you look in the colored chart, it'll show you the which which body parts we're thanking him for. For those of us who is too complex for. Just try to thank Hashem for all the different body parts. The mouth that can open and the closed parts and the open parts and everything. If you want, you can pick a different body part every time you go to the bathroom. Right. This ashy is sponsored by the kidney. And this whatever they should make an app one day. you know, every ashy it'll tell you a little bit about the the foot and the skin scale skin cells and it'll uh inspire us. It's a good idea. No. Anyway, so that's lots of different body parts and the goes that length to explain what we're thanking him for and how it's a hidden illusion of the ability to go to the bathroom. Now, here's the question. Why the double language? Why not just say get to the point? just or just one. What's that all about? Any ideas? I alluded to one perspective before. Why the double language? >> Sorry. >> Okay. So, what do you mean by that? >> It's down here on earth. So, that's one. So then why do you but how does that explain why we have a double language? >> Why are we saying just say one? >> Oh okay. So the simple langu answer you could just say is we have a lot a lot a lot like a lot of cells like trillions of cells. So you know just getting the point across. But perhaps another explanation brought down by the makubalim is as we alluded to before that every body part also has a spiritual counterpart. Okay, it looks like I'm just an ear, but really I also every part body part has a spiritual link and the ear is just the button, but the ear also has a spiritual counterpart and and and and it gets its vibrancy from the mitzvah that we're doing like the I think it's the mag if I'm not mistaken which I often am writes that every time you eat something you're The body breaks it down but not to like you know the chemical parts but to the spiritual parts. The physical part goes to the goof and the spiritual part animates the rest of your body. So that's a double language. You have that we have physical body parts and we have spiritual part. Every mitzvah we do gives kak to different body parts. And that's why many farm right if you're having problems I'm having ear problems. So maybe I have to analyze what sin am I doing that corresponds to the ear. Now ask your local cabalist. I I don't know. You know, I think there's a book anatomy of the soul. Go figure it out. Rubin Aman talks about it. But I don't know. But you can ask maybe I'm doing maybe I'm ill because I'm doing something wrong with that body part. So the double language is reminding us of that. In addition says the tour. By the way, the tour is also the balatur same guy. He was a great great rabbi and really the whole is based on him and he also has a parish on on the sitter and he writes the double language is 124 in gamatria 124 * 2 is 248 referring to the 248 body parts referring also to the 248 mitzvah positive mitzvah not a coincidence every mitzvah we do corresponds to the body parts so he's trying to teach us that we're reminding ourselves every time we say that our mitzvah that we do are giving us vibrancy and we're thanking Hashem not just for our body parts but also the ability to do it. Okay, very good. So that's now it is known before you and your throne of glory. That's quite an introduction, right? It's very unique. We don't have this in any other braha. We don't say God it is known before your throne of glory that this grape shall come into my mouth like we we don't do that for some reason we were uniquely this to be in such a fancy schmancy way interestingly da for what many would say this the most lowliest of uh of actions what's going on here. What's with this? It's known before your glorious throne. Can you think of any other any other time in our It's a good trivia question. What other time in all of sitter all do we allude to the I think it's like one other time in something like that. Look it up. But but why is that? Why is that? So says the a beautiful answer. He says, you know why? Because I would have thought that going to the bathroom. Ah, God's not getting involved with that. Everything else, Hashem's right there with you. But like, go to the bathroom. Hashem takes a break. He says, "Don't eat. You take care of that." You know, I'm not I'm not getting involved with the whole bathroom stuff. I'll I'll guide the world on all in like the economy and agriculture and, you know, the wars and Israel, but I'm not getting involved in the bathroom. So, no, even going to the bathroom. Hashem is helping you go to the bathroom. Hem is involved with that. That's also very very important and even the way we conduct ourselves in the bathroom is important. So don't think that that's not important. So go the opposite. But there's another perspective that Rab Gladstein teaches. He says remember Mosher Abenu remember when he wanted to go uh greet parro and tell him about the plagues. So Rashi says when well the Torah says he went down to the water to tell him about the plagues and Rashi says why did he go down to the water? Because he was going to the bathroom because Parro used to say I'm not a man I don't have to go to the bathroom. So what does Mosha say? He says really yeah you're not a man and da when he's going to the bathroom right >> that's when he shows up. So it turns out that going to the bathroom is basically our opportunity to recognize that we are humans. It's our opportunity to get a little humble to recognize that we're not God. Faroh needed that reminder. Apparently we also need that reminder. writes and one of the points of why don't we just go to the bathroom once say the braha once because we need to constantly remind ourselves that we are humans that we are not in charge that hem runs the world that god is in charge of everything we have to din for everything says because that's the goal of to bring us down a little bit and recognize that there's a god up there in his by the way the the says that's That's where God decides we're our souls. That's where he takes in the soul world. He gives us our souls in the And so every time we go to the bathroom, we're humbling ourselves and realizing we all have a we all have a specific mission and um and uh and going to the bathroom is our opportunity to open ourselves up to that. Okay, speaking of opening up ourselves and even one of our orphases would open up them or if one of them would ever be closed, we couldn't stand exist. We couldn't stand before you. We know you can't go to you can't when you and and we should never know of such a thing. But maybe some of us have experienced such a thing. We know what how terrible painful it is when you can't go to the bathroom and you really want to go to the bathroom. The opposite when not just the bathroom. If a person wants to speak and he can't speak or if a person anything speak of any part of your body and it's just not functioning properly and what a tremendous Yeshua it is that we're breathing that we're functioning that we're living and and and and just on the simplest simplest level that's what this bra is reminding us. Uh, excuse me. Another >> I never knew the reason why. >> I also don't know the reason why. Look up the gar in maybe even there there's a different stuff for that. But I'm not I don't know why the result changes the >> don't know. Good good question. Good great question. And as I alluded to before, some people say this also refers to the giving birth of per of man and also the ability to speak is also subtly alluded to in this brah. Okay, we're on a roll. So, we're going to do this in one shot. One last I think uh key keep shot in our last nine minutes. Um let's focus on the word. What does roof mean to us? When we hear the word roof, we generally imagine means doctor. But if you look in the itself, it doesn't exactly mean doctor. >> Where is the only time in where we have the phrase? Anybody familiar? >> Okay, I'm wrong. You're right. That's also uh a language of roy God heal her she's sick which is amazing actually because it connects very much to her spiritual melody which is connected to her physical melody so it works beautifully with the concept we've been drawing from but the first time that roof is actually used is even before Miriam >> I am God who heals you but there Israel are not sick. >> Rather Israel, God is telling them, if you want to not get sick, this is what you should do. Don't be like the Egyptians and instead follow the mitzvah. That's what Hashem tells B is and then he ends it up saying. So it turns out that a roy in a biblical sense is not just someone who after the fact gives you advice but even before like remember the good old days in America when you know you had doctors who would give us advice how to you know before socialized medicine so we would go to our doctors and they would tell us uh what medicine to take to not get sick. So that's Hashem. He's he's the doctor apparently also after the fact he'll help us out. But user fundamentally is is a pre preemptive medicine. Okay. And the preemptive medicine as we're saying is recognize God as a source of all of our blessing as all of our healing. recognize our body as a gift from the more we recognize the blessing of life hopefully the less we'll need to go to which is more about asking God for healing once we're actually sick okay so that's just important it's always important we always try to connect the words to its original biblical precedence uh which always have deep meaning for Foreman pointed that out to me okay basar Interesting. It uses a language of buser. Now, we're not just thanking God for our bodies, but we're thanking God for all maybe all flesh, all animals also, or maybe all humans. Sot says basar is a language of softness. It's like le basar, which is like flesh. It's like soft. And hey teaches that if you're soft, you'll get healed better. If you're stubborn, it's going to be harder yet. Yeah. Which I think is true. So I'm not a doctor. All my all my family are doctors. You can call them, but my cousins, but it seems to me to be true. If you're soft, you can be healed. That's what the Gumar says. So that's Basar. Remember that. And then and this last phrase is what everyone's trying to figure out. What does it mean? Who does wonders? Like what what are you trying to say here? What why this expression of mafly of what's the pellet? But what what is it? What is the miracle? The miracle is that we exist >> on a simple level. Absolutely. If we really contemplate that we are here, that itself is a miracle. But says actually the refers to something else. So the pella by the way is based. You have covered me in the womb of my mother. I acknowledge you for I am wonderly formed. So the formation of the human body is referred to by as a but so the pella is in order to understand the says the pella is that we have a soul and we have a body and there they're linked together that that I have a soul and my body somehow expresses a soul. The body is like the button. You you push the button, it affects the soul. But the soul is so much more than the body. Five parts of the soul and it's vast and the spiritual worlds and all of that is just in this little body of mine that I can express and do so much. That's the pellet and a little body is linked to the soul. And that's the theme. That's the whole thing of this whole is thanking God for the body but it's also thanking God for our soul which is linked to the body. That's why the very next after is because of the body soul linkage by Schwab in prayer has a beautiful way of conveying this. He says if you look in Alf you have the story of the hemorrhoids. Basically Israel get the Auron and the Auron is taken by Ellie by the Pushim. And what happens when they have the Auron with them? They start getting these hemorrhoids and this terrible disease and these mice start eating away at their flesh. Okay, this is not a midress. This is actually in the story. Check it out. the fourth chapter of of I think it or basically um they don't like this so they send the back and they send a little gift little box of golden mice isn't that beautiful and interestingly enough take the iron and they take the gift they take it and they put in the iron and the garra says in the end of days when the they're going to we're going to take back that art. We're going to refine the golden hemorrhoids and on top of it is the Torah that Mosher Rabenu wrote at Harena. Ain't that pretty weird? >> Yeah. >> So, what's the meaning behind that? So, Shab explains that's us guys. We're this lowly body, but we have through us is we're connected to the whole Torah, to our souls. And uh sometimes it's you know sometimes we have to go to the bathroom do this lowly thing but that's reminding us yes we're our humility as we mentioned before but at the same time at the end of the day it's only through this physical body that we're able to express the godly ideals that Hashem wants to bring into the world. That's why at the end of the day is going to be the body and the soul together. That's why at the end of the day, we care so much about every andar golden coming back home, even though it's just a body, but the body and the soul are linked together. They're they're a team. And therefore, the body is sanctified through its connection to the soul. And so on the simplest level, we're thanking God for the gal pleasure of being able to go to the bathroom. But on a deeper level, what what we're really thanking Hashem for is wow, every single breath of life, I have the opportunity to do mitzvah and to connect to Mameish, um, you know, connect my soul to the internal world. And every mitzvah I do is forever. And what an unbelievable we have to be alive. Every single breath is unbelievable. Uh, braha. So uh first of all, Hashem should bless you guys, everyone who's listening out there to to really key in to really tap into the treasures of hashar and uh we should each other try to think of ways of anchoring our day and to really sing a with kavana try might take upon ourselves to try to really stop drop and bless uh sing the astriatar song. I'm thinking of making a little chart for myself. That's kind of one thing um I was thinking of and like rate myself at the end of the day, you know, how did I do with my ashar? Is every trying to remember every what one to 10 how did I do? If anybody wants to do that with me, we can do we could be ashy kusas. Um anyways, I can make a sticker chart if you want. It's I think it's a good idea. Anyways, uh everyone find your own practical ways to bring into your life. And in this of we should have good health. And the only to all of [applause] [singing] you >> [singing] [applause] >> Sky [music] [music and singing] My [singing] [music] body [music and singing]