Halacha Series Introduction pt#1 Home2Torah with Rabbi Aaron Dovid Poston

[music and singing] [music] [singing] [music] [singing] [music] Bye. Hello. Hi everybody. One second. Oh, okay. Wow. Okay. Good evening, good afternoon, good morning. I don't remember. Oh yeah, 6:00 a.m. over there. What time is it? No, it's 11:00. 11:00? What time is it? Oh, for you it's Boca Raton, but what time is it over there, Mayor? About 10:00 in the morning. Oh my gosh. Have you guys had coffee yet? Yeah. All right. Good thing. Good thing. Okay. Um Yes, Yakov. Yeah. So here I also made a I printed out an English translation also. Oh, good. Uh for the We're going to Hey guys. Hello. Hi everybody. You know what we're going to do? We're going to start with um the Shulchan Aruch. It's I have a copy of the Mishnah Berurah on the Shulchan Aruch, but I gave you two links. One was just like a Wikipedia what the Shulchan Aruch is. Um you got to remember, I mean I I don't know if you remember, I should say that. Um we're going to spend about a half an hour. You guys seem to be interested a little bit in halakha. So I figured, okay, we'll spend a half hour in the real basic stuff, which is really the very first chapter. The very first chapter, but a little bit of a preface, an introduction to who and what the Shulchan Aruch actually is. [clears throat] As you know, we have what we call an oral Torah. And it was oral until the the Talmud was written. And the Talmud became or let's say the Mishnah. The Mishnah became like a very short blurb blurbs of halakha that became written down in a way that you couldn't really learn that much from it unless you had a rebbe, unless you actually had the oral Torah associated with the notes that were that were inscribed, written down, and published. So basically it became written down at a certain point. Um and then the the the the Talmud, which is the discussions upon the Mishnah. So we're talking anywhere between the year, you know, 300 to 600, this whole development of the Talmud. Or maybe 500 it was written Yeah, we have we have two Talmuds. We have the Jerusalem Talmud and the the Babylonian Talmud. And even that, you need an oral Torah, you need a rebbe to to assist you and to understand it as well. So through our persecutions and our exile and running around being persecuted and slaughtered, um we spread out, as you know, and at at some point in time, even though the communities the Jewish communities were spread out quite far, you never really had a central authority at this point. So amongst the Sephardi many ways, this was Rabbi Yosef Caro, who's at the time the mid-1500s living in Safed, took upon himself to codify I mean, he's not really the first one. You had many had the Rambam as well um the codified Jewish law. Um but to try to actually um solidify it for the entire Jewish community all over and pretty much most, not every Jewish community, but most Jewish communities accepted what the Shulchan Aruch with Rabbi Yosef Caro wrote. Simultaneously, as he was towards finishing his book, it became known to a great rabbi in in Europe. He was actually planning to do the exact same thing, and he decided, you know what? If he's already doing it, I'll wait till it comes out, and then what I'll do is I'll make my notes. I'll say what I agree with. Well, you know what? What I agree with I don't have to say. Whatever I have a disagreement with, I'll I'll I'll add our customs. So today's Shulchan Aruch, that we call the Shulchan Aruch, and many actually like I mentioned, many people codified, but this was pretty much accepted by almost every every Jewish community at the time. It was a combination between the Sephardic and the Ashkenazic. And what they did, as you know, that we had a Sanhedrin at one time, and we always went after the majority. Whatever the majority ruled, that's how we did. Um but we don't have a Sanhedrin. So what he decided to do, and some people took offense to it, as you know, when you have two Jews, you have three opinions. Uh he took the three major opinions, what he thought was the three major opinions, and he decided that if two of them say one thing and one says the other, so that will be the way the halakha goes, like the majority of the three. Most of the time all three agree, but there were differences That's how he made the determination if there was a disagreement. He would go by the majority of what he felt was the three major rabbis of that the past 100 years of his time. And uh or several hundred years, I should say. And um not everyone agreed with these with three greatest rabbis. So of course then you have other other codifications. So we admit that because of the persecution, and the persecution came about because of our sins, that we have a um divisions. We have divisions in in Israel. Um but what the Shulchan Aruch attempted to do, and he did a very good job of putting together the mainstream majority opinions. So basically he since since he did such a great job, a majority of the Jewish people accepted it. But remember, it's based on the written law. It's based on the original oral law of Mishnah as a foundation and the the discussions in the Gemara, which you have several opinions, but of like the Sanhedrin would have decided one of those opinions. He basically took all those major commentaries from the previous years and made what he believed and and not only that, I mean, the the the the the What did I say? The I'm saying the Torah. The Torah The tradition is that he had a great teacher. Who did he learn with? He learned with an angel. So we know that the Torah is not in heaven. It's here on Earth. But he can be assisted by angels, you know, through Ruach Hakodesh, through the Holy Spirit, and of course his great uh character and his vast volume of knowledge. He didn't make anything up new. He just codified what he believed was the majority opinion. Okay. So now you understand a little bit about where we're at. This is going back 500 years. Um but we have many people like this is someone someone who wrote 100 years ago his commentary on the Shulchan Aruch with you know, he adds and you know, other opinions that perhaps the Rabbi Yosef Caro didn't know about. Remember, because they didn't have uh different modes of communication and today's is global village. And then you have commentaries on the Mishnah Berurah people today. So we found manuscripts, and there's ways to uh uh correct perhaps even if there were either mistakes made or What's the word? And they had the printing presses, like mis- misprints. And then so there's a clarifications that that go on through time. So we call this a living Torah. It's a living Torah that's oral, that's passed down from generation to generation, and God promised it would never be lost from us. So this is where we're at today. So I hope you can appreciate the the very first halakha starts off I didn't give you guys the Hebrew. But my friend and I, we have we have the Hebrew in front of us. So the first chapter has nine halakhot, nine subchapters. And it's so beautiful when you read it in Hebrew, and I'll do my best and translate it. So the first halakha. First of all, this chapter is dealing with the laws of getting up in the morning. I mean, that's great place to start. Yitgaber ka'ari. You should strengthen yourself like a lion. This is a law, a halakha. Well, first of all, the word halakha comes from the word lekh. How one should behave. Lekh means to proceed, to walk, to go. And I I don't want to do any comparative religion, but there is a uh a well-known idea in in in Islam, it's called Sharia law. Sharia law is actually based on our halakha, but they got a lot of things wrong. But the word Sharia is comes from the word yashar, to go straight, to walk straight, the straight path. So this is the straight path for us. This is the halakha, how we should walk, how we should behave. And it goes from rituals to attitudes, okay? So, it's not only uh rituals. And it begins with uh maybe it's a ritual, maybe it's an attitude, maybe it's both. Let's hear it. Yitgaber ka'ari, you should get up in the morning like you you you should strengthen yourself like a lion la'amod baboker to stand up in the morning la'avod boreh. To serve your creator. He's going to do this is going to explain this is our whole purpose in life. We're created to serve God. Sheya who ma'or hashachar actually you're the one who wakes the morning up. The morning shouldn't wake you up, you should awaken the morning. Can you imagine? I mean, we live in the in in cold cold temper temperature areas, but um you imagine if you lived in the Middle East and it's nice and warm in the middle of the summer so you get up. But in Poland or maybe Wenatchee, I don't know if it's compared, but uh it's kind of hard. He's going to explain what goes through a person's mind in the morning on a cold day and you'll understand what we mean when we talk about a yetzer hara, an evil inclination that God gave us free will and how we're going to use it. So, did I translate that right? Yeah. Okay. So, before we go into the commentary, so you don't have the commentary here, we'll read says anytime it says gloss, is [snorts] that what it says? Gloss. So, that's the that's the um Ashkenaz. So, any let me get let me re go back over this. In the Hebrew, anything that's dark bold uh print, that's the Sephardic. That's Rabbi Yosef Cairo. And anything that is in usually Rashi print or lighter print is the Ashkenaz, Rabbi Moshe Isserles. And so, anytime it says gloss, that's that's an introduction to what Rabbi Moshe Isserles introduced and he says al p'nei nevertheless lo ye'acher m'tefilah, at least you shouldn't be late. In other words, the really we're going to learn the best time to pray. The we we pray three times a day and we pray with 10 other people we at least and we pray in a synagogue. It's like I don't know if any other I mean, any Christian religion really really does that. I know the Muslims they they they pray five times a day. Um mostly in mosques, but we have an obligation to go to shul. Shul is a synagogue. And uh you shouldn't delay, you shouldn't be late from the time that the congregation is praying. It's very important to pray with the congregation. Now, the truth is the gloss adds more. So, he says this is a very famous verse from Psalm 16:8. If you have it in front of you the whole verse, it's it's better, but I have set the Lord before me constantly. Shiviti Hashem Yod Kay Vav Kay l'negdi tamid hu chlav d'Ora Torah, this is the greatest or one of the greatest um fun fundamental principles of the entire Torah. U'v'ma'alot tzaddikim and the virtues of the righteous asher holchim which walk before God. So this idea and we're going to see in the Mishnah Berurah how one should imagine when he closes his eyes, he sees on his eyelids the Yod and the Hay and the Vav and the Hay. The name of God should be before him always. When the person goes up to pray in the synagogue, almost every synagogue has a um I don't know what to call it. It's not it's not just a menorah, but there's a uh a plaque that has the Yod and the Hay and the Vav and the Hay. Of course, we're not praying to the plaque, but it's to have on the mind of subconscious? Or consciously? Right, cuz the Sephardim have uh even a much deeper understanding because every time they have the name of Elohim or Yod Kay Vav Kay, I should say. Anytime they have the name of Yod Kay Vav Kay, we don't pronounce that name, which we could talk about a whole another class why. Um but we think about it. When you you you have to think about it and actually pronounce use your mouth to pronounce a different name and think about the Almighty who was, is, and will be cuz that's one of the understandings of the deep name cuz of the Yod and the Hay and the Vav and the Hay is haya, which was hoveh present tense, present, and yihiyeh. Okay, so that's like a whole Did we lose those other people? We just lost the pictures. Okay. [snorts] Okay, so we're we're in right here. So, he says you should know ki ein yeshivah d'adam u't'nu'atav as kav u'l'vado b'veito u'vishivato u't'nu'atav as kav u'lifnei melech bado the the way a person acts, he doesn't act the same way. All of his movements and all of his business when he's alone in his house and he's sitting all by himself, he doesn't act the same way when he is sitting in front of a great king, right? You might scratch yourself. I mean, I know are you one of those guys who who protect the Queen of England? They they I don't know what they are, but they stand there like this and they can't even blink and they can't scratch themselves, right? [clears throat] So, we're we're we're using that as an example, but we're talking about him when you're at home, how you would talk to your family and your friends and all of a sudden you have I don't want to say Trump, but anybody anybody who's like could have life over you, you know, off of his head. You're not you're certainly not going to joke around or act the same way. So, this is to bring it to your consciousness. This is how great Hashem is and how how you need to act really at all times because why? Because Hashem is not only always there, he's always attentive. He's always watching every move that you make and also he knows your thoughts. U'v'lo dibur chavat piv, your your speech whatever comes out of your mouth, you do whatever you want when you're alone. Um v'ein anshei beito krovav, when you're with family k'dibbur moshav melech, it's not at all similar to the way you would act or behave or speak when you're with a king, a great king. So, if that's true by a great earthly king so kol shekein, how much more so k'sheyasim Adon el libo, if a person pays attention, puts upon his heart that he is [clears throat] that Hakadosh Baruch Hu, the King of the the King of Kings, the Great King Hakadosh Baruch Hu, the Blessed One, holy is he asher melo kol ha'aretz k'vodo, who fills the entire universe with his glory, he's only made all of, he's standing there upon him v'ro'eh b'ma'asav, he sees all of his actions. There's nothing that can be hidden from him as there's another verse here, I think he brings it down in Jeremiah 23:24. Im yisater ish b'mistarim, you think a man can hide in the most hidden places? V'ani lo er'enu, num Hashem, and I'm not going to see him, says Hashem? So, I mean, you really think about this is the first halacha. This is what one needs to think about. Miyad yigol alav yirah, if one really thinks about this, immediately would come upon him a healthy fear v'hachna'ah, subjugation uh and pachad, s- a- another type of the fear. How does he translate it? He he merely acquires fear and submission and dread. I like those words. Of Hashem [clears throat] Yisborach, of the the the the name the we're talking about God, shall he be blessed. Um u'voshto mimenu tamid, and you would have a constant sense of either shame or bushah. A sense of shame or he says in a shamed being ashamed, okay? And not only that, there's like a warning lo lo yitbayesh mipnei bnei adam, you should not be afraid in front of people. You know Huh? Embarrassed? Yitbayesh, embarrassed. You know how um people are embarrassed in front of front of when other people see what they're doing, but if there was nobody around, like you you wouldn't be embarrassed? But God is always there. So, first of all, people mock religious people. I don't know if you've been mocked. Have you ever been mocked for your beliefs? So lo yitbayesh mipnei bnei adam u'ma'aligei malav, don't worry, don't be embarrassed um in front of people who mock you for your service to God. But rather go b'hatzna'a lechet humbly go with Hashem. I think this is in Is that Did he tell you where that is? Cuz I think that's a pasuk in Micah, right? Walk humbly with your God. B'hatzna'a lechet so not only should you walk humbly u'vishachvo al mishkavo, when you're lying upon your bed. You know listening me show him you should know from whom you're lying in front of. And immediately when you awaken from your sleep get up with a lot of fervor to serve your creator is brought to you and he should be elevated exalted. [clears throat] Okay. So this is the first and there's a lot of commentary on it. So I want to I want to reach out to you guys and talk about some of this commentary and I broke I have Yakov Israel with me he's going to help me. So the mission of brewer this is the kind the famous kind he passed away a little short of a hundred years ago 1933. And he was one of the greatest rabbis of the generation. And he wrote regarding this idea of to serve God this is right we saw in the beginning where it says you should get up like a lion to in the morning to serve your creator. He says this is the reason man was created. Like the verse says. So I don't have the verse in front of me but it says call me me everyone who calls out in my name for my honor this is what he is created for so do you know where that verse might be okay. So they they always assume that we know the whole thing. [snorts] And they don't know how we are a orphan generation. Okay. If shall become raised up your evil inclination in the winter and what is it going to say to you going to whisper in your ear and say what do you think he's going to say in the winter? How are you going to get up in the morning it's so cold and those blankets are so warm. Or you know what it's going to say in the in the summer so in the winter when the nights are long and you had plenty of sleep it's going to tell you it's too cold. This is the way God created the world and in the summer where the nights are short. Right the nights are short but it's warm. The going to come and say if I am old we meet at school how are you going to get up from your bed but I don't you shouldn't miss not take her you didn't get enough sleep. It's going to always have an excuse. It is brilliant okay it it knows it's way around the universe. We call it we remember the HR is the satan it's the evil inclination it's the angel of death. It wants to blind you from seeing clearly the spiritual world. You got there all of he you should strengthen yourself upon him. Don't listen to him. This is what you should think in your heart in your soul. If you had a really important meeting with a king right you had an appointment with the president. A king he says you had a really a very important meeting. Or to serve a earthly king how sorry is the comment how much would you get up you would you wouldn't delay you would probably get up before your alarm went off. You would get up early you would prepare yourself to serve that earthly king. So culture came how much more so you just like a another way of how much more so in a bigger sense in a logical way came the no show again how much more so if you talked about logic when you talked about the king of kings. That's how you say king of kings in Hebrew. But it's the king of all the kings condition for how would you translate me like my okay I'm a lucky the king of all kings the king of all kings the king of all kings he's the the blessed one be he he's the supreme Amen. Okay. So you hear how we there's a lot of her and then there's the the spirit of the law right. I guarantee anybody who tells me that a lot of her is dry it's just simple ritualistic no spirit to it I challenge them send me a lot of her and I'll tell you and I'll find out myself I can't come up with it off my tongue the depth of the spiritual every a lot of her is there to remind us of our relationship and how to create that bond with God no matter what. No matter what ritual it is it's always to remind us of our relationship and our bond with a God who loves us and it's our way of showing our love to him. Okay so he mentions the word meaning I'm looking upstairs was the last word the word wake in the dawn. So our obligation is to wake in the dawn. So the the slow rights he says a secret or fundamental principle the way he says so. The hobby of the light. Our obligation is to connect like we're partners with God in creation are you aware of that we are partners with God in creation and we're going to connect day and night. How through Torah learning Torah and scripture or prayers our prayers we pray first thing in the morning which as the sun comes up from the horizon or in the afternoon there's different times but could be close to the sunsetting and then immediately after the stars have come out. That would be in the morning and in the evening immediately when you get up from your sleep you awaken from your sleep. And you no longer want to sleep no you're lying in you're lying in bed. You told you that you should wash your hands. off even if you're plan to stay lying in bed. The will be called you came she will get you all the animals believe until she died. How much more so if if you're lying in bed and you want to stay in bed while you're awake so you get up you have to wash your hands how much more so if you plan to walk you shouldn't walk more than we'll say six to eight feet it's best to have water by your bed in a little bucket or if you have a sink close by there are many people that are lenient but he goes and explains the most stringent opinions and what and and also and mentions there are a lot of lenient season this but at some point you need to wash your hands certainly before you end up going to the bathroom and having to either clean your eyes out different things you do we said before you shouldn't stick your fingers before they've been cleaned into your eyes or any other holes or certainly any open cuts or wounds. And we're going to talk about those reasons why. But anyway so this idea of not walking six to eight feet we're going to use the word Hebrew dollar amount and I'm not is from the top of your finger to your elbow. So it's um it's a standard measurement and number four four dollar amount and talks about what the Zohar says I'm going to skip a little bit of that. Um So where should I pick this up? Oh there's there's another idea. Um You guys are all married right but let's say there was a single person and they had a roommates and they forgot to prepare the water so they take the roommates water so they should definitely I wish they filled it up for the roommates. What I personally found being married was it disturbed my wife's sleep. So I put it outside the bedroom. So as not to awaken awaken her cuz it's forbidden to steal people's sleep. Okay that's stealing. Okay it's a very big it could be a very big sin. So we have to be careful for that. At some point he picks up and says um that there is this custom now you can talk to me and fish all the fish all the fish all the animals let's say for example you didn't have the water by your bed. So if you don't walk in large strides so you walk let's say you know instead of our bonus three hours and stop and then walk another three hours that may be one way, but there's another opinion that it's better to get rid of it as soon as possible. The The idea of Yota she out from Marutza. Another says, rather you should run. What are you talking about? You're you're delaying it on your body. That perhaps it's better to to run to the bathroom. Uh meaning more than doubt almost. And Let's see. Okay, so he mentions about the Tzeebo Miss Palalin. So we said that you should Remember the Rama of of Poland. He mentions that it's better not to be too late. So I knew of our peace shall we of our smart to feel it. So this is another idea that there actually are set times when we make these certain to feel out. So we all have to dive in what we call a morning prayer. And we're limited. So what do you think you can dive in your morning prayer in the afternoon? You get up at like, you know, 12:30 in the morning I mean the afternoon and then go ahead and pray the morning service. No, it doesn't work like that. Cuz we have these ideas that our prayers replace the bullocks. The our prayers replace the offerings of carbonote in the temple. So going back in history, we have Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in their own high spiritual level they actually instituted the morning the Abraham instituted the morning prayer. Yitzhak the afternoon prayer and Yakov the evening prayer. And later on even though we had these um Huh? The men of the Great Assembly? They they they they wrote it, but we still had these prayers. And that they actually were in parallel with the communal offering in the temple. There was a tamid offering a a constant uh communal offering every morning and every afternoon. Now the evening service is where the leftovers that were offered on the morning and the afternoon were then burnt all night long and the prayers in the evening paralleled those. Um so the prayers actually are personal prayers, but they're also communal responsibility. Okay. So where was I going with that? He says regarding this Tzeebo Miss Palalin, so make sure not to delay the time cuz it's a big mitzvah to pray with the group of people. There is an idea that if you can't make it to synagogue, you should still pray at the same time that they're praying. So if you know at 8:30 in the morning or 6:30 in the morning, whatever time you know they enter their prayer, you should be praying at home at the same time. So that's only if for, you know, if there's a blizzard or you're sick or you're older, you know, you you have responsibilities that are greater for some reason and you can't make it. So then you can fall back and still pray with the congregation even though you're not in their presence. It's an it's it's like amazing concept of of what group prayer really is all about as well as as we will say um communal responsibility for prayer. And we mentioned the word Sadiqim. We said that the um that what did the Sadiqim do? They have this Yod and a Hey and a Vav and a Hey in front of them at all times. This is These words were King David's. It says in Psalm 16:8, I have set the Lord before me constantly. And what does that mean? So in Hebrew it says Shiviti Hashem. I actually placed the Yod and the Hey and the Vav and the Hey in front of me constantly. So he says the higher sheets I air but now shall tell me. You actually formulate a picture in your mind. Well, he says in your soul. Okay. You you just you you picture this in your soul constantly as if you're standing before the Almighty the Kadish Baruchu Maley Kol Ha'aretz K'vodoh because he fills the entire universe with his glory. This is amazing. This is something to meditate on. And he he actually describes how the vowelization is supposed to look like. So I'm not going to go into that now, but in other words when you picture the Yod and the Hey and the Vav and the and the Hey in your mind, actually how it's to be pronounced, but you don't pronounce it. We don't pronounce it. We just imagine it. I know you guys think we're weird. We got all this uh You can't hear? Do they hear you? Any questions at this point? Okay. So the Ari Zal describes it. So we should see where at. Okay. Okay. Yeah, Mayor. Listen to this. You brought this up and I'm looking for a cup for washing in the morning. And you know how difficult it is in the United States. I want to tell you any cup that has it's round on top and it's not too tight. It's just a regular cup. It doesn't have to have handles. Those handles are uh it just makes it easier. It's not a requirement. Take go to your I don't know. Sink. What are those What are those a mug? But you go What What's it called? What are these places called? Target Marshalls. I don't know. What What do you got over there? You just go to any store and buy a cup that's It's got to have you know a What's it called? A revi'it? I don't know. I don't know. There is a minimum amount. No. Yes, there is. You said a minimum amount. Yes, I'm saying how how big? 16 oz? 16 oz? I think it's less. Much less. Much less. Much less. Much less. 6 oz. What's a what? Much less. 8 oz? Is there a cup on that thing you want to bring over? Um A A revi'it. Are we talking about a revi'it? So it's only a a revi'it? No, that's the point. You just need to have No, revi'it is 86 cm. 6 6 No, is there a cup with with handles on it? How many meals? I think it's eight. I'm going to check into this for you. I think it's a very small amount. Okay. I don't want to say, but I think it's a lot. Uh there's no cup there? Okay. So you you go to Israel and everyone has or you go to a Jewish community and they have a bookstore or they have a Judaic store and they sell these cups. They're fancy cups, gold plated, uh down to just simple plastic and they have handles that you use to But it doesn't have to have a handle. Not at all. Okay. I wish you hadn't said that. You wish I hadn't said that? I've been looking at the really pretty ones online. No, it's a mitzvah to spend money and to beautify our mitzvahs. So if you see online, order it. But use it for Shabbos. I wouldn't use it every morning when you wake up. I mean, maybe you could. I'm not saying not to. But uh we have we use the nicer ones when we have guests and we have uh Shabbos guests and we uh uh go to the sukkah. Uh But uh we have a simple plastic ones in the bathrooms. Okay? Dixie cup. There shouldn't be Dixie cup. Why? There's a disposable. I think it's Is there Is there any I I heard of it when it comes to washing for bread. For the bread? Well, that's something else. Okay. Two different things. Anyway, there's something very important that is not in your text. I have it in the Mishna Berurah in the Biur Halacha and maybe I'll I'll send it to you another time not home, but when he says this is the Klal Gadol Ba'Torah. Remember, a very great fundamental concept is to have Hashem before you always. Out of the 613 mitzvahs, there are six of them that we call the six constant mitzvahs. Why are they six Why are they constant? Because they are obligated on everybody at all times. Which like most mitzvahs are either day or night or if you're in a certain situation, these are always no matter where you are, what you're doing, except when you're sleeping of course. And therefore, if you know what they are and you're cognizant of them, you could be fulfill fulfilling these mitzvahs every nanosecond of the day. And now I have your attention. I'm sure you're very interested in knowing what they are. And And Gentiles who keep the seven Noahide laws can also fulfill them. They're not obligated in in every aspect, but they do fit in well. And therefore, it would be also good to know what they are and you can also fulfill them. He says who Klal Gadol Ba'Torah, the Biur Halacha which was written by the Chofetz Chaim, explains how wrote to the Kayem. If somebody wants to fulfill Shiviti. Shiviti is placing the Yud Kay Vav Kay, the idea of Hashem is in front of you always, k'eroi, properly. Yisdareish, he should be very careful l'kayem ma she k'tuv. To fulfill what's written in a book called the the Chinuch, Sefer haChinuch. Midnei godel chavivutam, tikim kama gedolim b'sifreihem. Because of their greatness, these great this great idea that is so beloved that it's been copied over into many many books throughout Jewish history. And I want you to know my Rabbi, Reb Noach Weinberg from Aish HaTorah, made a huge seminar based on the six constant mitzvahs. So, look it up, aish.com, six constant mitzvahs, and you will find a tremendous amount written on the subject. Here it's in one little paragraph. He says, "This is the language of the Chinuch." This is the language of the book that he's quoting from. And in the haqdama, the introduction of certain chapters, he says, "Sheish mitzvos chiyuvon t'midi." There are six mitzvahs that are always liable, obligated constantly. "Lo yafsikoo mei'alah dem." They never depart, they never stop from being obligated obligated obligated on a person afilu rega echad kol yamav, even for one moment all the days of his life. So, you want to get rid of the law? You think the law is a burden? "Kol man v'chol rega." Every moment and every millisecond. "She yikshov bahen kiyem mitzvas asei." Every time you think about them, you fulfill Not only do you fulfill these mitzvahs, you obviously get reward. "Ein keitz l'matan s'char mitzvah." There's no limit to the amount of reward that you will receive when you fulfill these six constant mitzvahs. "V'eilo hein." And they Here they are. One. Drum roll, please. "L'ha'amin she'eish Elokai echad." To believe that there is one God b'olam, in the world. "Shehintzi kol hanimtzos." That he is the reality of all realities. [snorts] "U'mechefzo u'retzono hoo." And his will and his desires "Kol ma shehu achshav." Everything that is now, "Shehaya d'hu vos." "U'sheyihyeh d'hu yihyeh l'adei ad." Until eternity. Everything that has ever happened in the universe, everything that happened, is happening right now, and that will ever happen is according to his will. And guess what else? It's that same God, "Yehovah hotzianu mimitzrayim." He's the God that took us out of Egypt. "V'notan lanu haTorah." And gave us the scripture, gave us the Torah. And it's a positive mitzvah. It's a mitzvas asei. It's a positive mitzvah as it says, I believe this is the first of the 10 Commandments. "Anochi Hashem Elokecha asher anochi hotzeisicha mei'eretz mitzrayim." Who took you out from Egypt. Who took you out from Egypt. [clears throat and cough] "U'feirusho." And what does it mean? "Teidu." "Teidu." You shall know. "V'ta'aminu." And you shall believe. "She'eish l'olam Elokai hamashgiach." There is a God who cares and is involved and is flowing providence your way. Towards the world. "Sh'harei shehotzeischa mei'eretz mitzrayim." Behold, he's the one who took you out of Egypt. Okay, that's the first. Is that Is that So, it's a pretty heavy uh It's a mitzvah. It's a mitzvah that you can constantly do all every nanosecond, every second, every moment, every rega, every So, I guess as long as you're conscious. And never stop. How's that, Mayor? Two. So, we got the first one. Second one. "Shelo na'amin b'shum Elohim zulato." Do not believe in any other powers or gods except for him. As it says, which I believe is the second of the 10 Commandments. "Lo yihiyeh l'cha Elohim acherim al panai." Do not have any other gods besides me. What is al panai? In my face. There was a translation. No other gods. No other gods before me. No other gods aside from me. Aside from "Afilu modeh she'Hakadosh Baruch Hu shelo natan kol." Even if you actually believe that the the Father, that the God Almighty controls or has control over everything, "Rak she'yidameh." "B'da'ato." But you imagine in your mind "Shemosar hanhagas olam l'malach o l'kochav." But that he transferred his power to an angel or some other star, You imagine if someone Some other being? Right? "Hareihu modeh l'oved avodah zarah." That means you are admitting to idol worship. This is This is the Jewish belief. This is like You see why it's so hard for us to be turned. Huh? Be swayed. Be swayed or persuaded. And then you transgress, God forbid, the second commandment. "Lo yihiyeh l'cha Elohim acherim al panai." Not to have any other gods before me. "Ela ela ela ela ela ela ela ela ela ela ela ela ela ela ela ela ela ela ela ela ela ela ela ela ela But you should believe that it's God, the the Holy One, blessed be he, himself, in his glory, is observing, is as the mashgiach. It's not just observing, it's involved with all of the worlds, all the worlds. Huh? All the planets. All the planets. All the stars and all the planets, everything. "Ein l'shum nivra koach la'asos davar biltei retzono." There is no creation that was ever created that has the power to do anything without the will of God. "L'chein." Therefore, "Nikra Hakadosh Baruch Hu Elohei Elohim." God of gods. God of gods. He's the God of gods. He's capital G. Capital G. Okay, ready for the third? Are you guys ready? This is six constant mitzvahs that change your life forever. Something is a book about that. book. It's called Six Constant Mitzvahs by Reb Noach Weinberg. No, but there's a book by ArtScroll. Oh, ArtScroll? It wasn't there. Yeah. So, you can also order a book from ArtScroll called uh The Six Constant Mitzvahs. Anyway, you look it up online, you'll discover much much online. The third mitzvah is "L'yachedo." L'yachedo. What does that mean? To unify. What does that mean? To unify God. GOD IS ONE. SO, how do you unify God? "She'ne'emar." As it says in the Torah, "Sh'ma Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad." By saying those words, I'm unifying God? I'm I'm acknowledging and making a proclamation that God is one. "Sh'ma Yisrael." "Da ki Hashem she' hivah es hakol." Hear, oh Israel. Listen, Israel. Listen, you Jews. Listen, you Israelites. And know that Hashem is "hivah." He is existence of everything. "B'retzono." According to his will. "Hu Eloheinu hamashgiach b'chol olamos." He is our God who is Again, is involved and is observing all of the worlds. "Hu Hashem Echad." He is God, which is one, "v'lo shittuf." Without any partners. He doesn't need a partner. HOW CAN HOW CAN A GOD LIKE THIS NEED A PARTNER? I MEAN, when there's a something missing in one partner, so the other partner is a You know what they call? Working in tandem or you know, my weaknesses and my strengths and my partner is going to then What's the word? You know, compensate, you know, for my weaknesses and my strengths compensate for his. He needs a partner. He has no What's shittuf? Partners? Partnership, right? There is no partnership here. It's a exclusive There's no ghost. It's an exclusive enterprise. Okay. Wow. Oh my gosh. This is the the fourth of the six constant mitzvahs. "L'ehov hamakom baruch hu." To love God. Wow, you know it's a bit of to love God. It's a bit of to love God. She never as it says we have to this is from the first paragraph and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your might with all your resources. How does a person reach this love? Who are you there Torah comes through scripture. It comes through learning Torah. Like it's brought down in the managers in the secret division and more as it says since it says you shall love. You shall love. The question is like this knock as it so all the time. How do you define love? What is love? Can you command somebody to have an emotion? Is love an emotion? Can I command you to have an emotion? Be angry. Oh, how you going to be angry? Uh feel depressed. How you going to feel? Love. Love. You going to be commanded to have an emotion? Doesn't make any sense. So Tommy lover the Tommy teaches us the Torah teaches us by you and the divine mayor has shown it's all kind of love that you shall place these words which I command you this day upon your heart. Should be talk from the scripture for placing the scripture on your heart. Then you come to recognize the one who spoke and the world came into being. The the Lord spoke and the world came into being. How you going to know Hashem? You're going to know Hashem through his kindness and everything that he does. And through learning scripture so what does it mean to be commanded to have this emotion? He's this according to him many other people say the same thing. That basically what's love? Love is when you're able to see. You see, you recognize the virtues of the other person then you can love that person. When you see the positive things in the other person you'll fall in you will fall in love. So you have an obligation to say in a relationship to see all the positive things in the other person if you're commanded to love them. Here which we have a command to love all Jews so we have to always look for the positive. Here we're talking about how do you love Hashem? By contemplating on his greatness and in the love that he has for us and all the kindness that he has given to us. So listen to the words through learning this Torah putting this Torah in your heart you'll come to recognize who spoke in the world came into being meaning to say through meditating on God's Torah you will come to recognize his greatness the greatness of God shame Eric Gates it's priceless and it's endless. There is no value you can place on God and there's no end. He is infinite. There's no doubt that the end result will be that this love will rest in your heart. And regarding this mitzvah a man should see to place all of his movements but this is all about speech for example. You know when you speak those movements of your lips and your tongue the whole tone of all your thoughts. Everything should be going in the way of all your actions should be directed towards loving God. We are believer and you should extend in your heart all that you have in this world whether it's riches, children, honor, everything there is nothing compared to the love you must have for Hashem. You should not just reach you should try to grasp constantly through your desires of wisdom of Torah in order to grasp the understandings of God. And one who sets or establishes all of his thoughts in earthly things in in physical things in materialism all of the worthless things of the world not for the sake of God because of course one may one should use all of his earthly resources for the sake of God but if he doesn't what does he do? He's just using this world for pleasure his own selfish pleasures and trying to reach a certain level of honor amongst men. He has negated the mitzvah of loving God the and there is great punishment for [clears throat] this. Okay, how are we doing so far? We're good? You're there. Five. To have a a called a healthy fear to have a healthy fear of God constantly in front of you and then you will not come to sin. As it says at the the Lord your God you shall fear. It's written in the Torah and we should over our video. And anybody anytime that a opportunity to do a sin comes to your hand you're obligated to awaken in your spirit and to place upon your heart [clears throat] this idea. That Hashem observes and is aware and is involved in every action of man of him What's that word darken? Even if this is to darken through become darken through your actions. What does it mean? Because because there is such a thing as rewarded punishment so that's one of the fundamental principles of Judaism is there is a thing called reward and punishment and so you have to be cognizant of the fact that there will be retribution for the evil actions that you take. As it says this was the verse that we quoted I believe from Jeremiah 23:24. Listen to the words will a man hide in concealment and I will not see him? Says says God which means there are repercussions repercussions there's consequences to your actions. He is involved and he knows everything. So that's the fifth command of having a healthy fear. A healthy [clears throat] fear of God and I lost my place. Six the last one. Okay. Doesn't tell us what the what the chapter verses but we know what it is we hear all the time. And number six do not follow after the thoughts of your heart or the sight of your eyes. In other words don't follow sight desire desires. It says Do not follow after your heart. And the common say what does it mean after what does it mean after your heart? This is heresy. Heresy. And what does it mean after your eyes? That's immodesty. So when it says don't follow after your hearts that is heresy. And don't follow after your eyes that's immodesty. When we talk about the concept of heresy so it includes any strange thoughts any thoughts that are opposite of the understanding of the Torah of what the Torah stands for that's called heresy. So that's get it you get it? Would be Klaus news. And and what's the concept of immodesty? It includes Misha who wrote this after Thomas oil. It's not just after sexual pleasures. Anyone who runs after the pleasures of this world. Me Bleacher having been called the cover of soda without good intention. Call them what I used to say. Shallow yesterday today she am old debris. The you call the Estrada by voters boiler. What does that mean? He's not doing it in order let's say you want to go to a vacation. If you're going to the vacation in order to recharge your batteries so you can serve Hashem better, so then that would be permissible. But if you're going strictly for the the pleasures of this world, it becomes a sin. You know, to go out to the mountains and and just meditate about God and you want to see the God's beautiful world and and and and have the concept you want to love God more, so then go. But if you're doing it to just to escape and and not think about God, then it's a sin. Rock [snorts] of Anatoly Tommy La Harbor La Harbor and new game going to the show. We talk about the negative side. All he has intent is to increase his desires and pleasures. Call say the cat came the show no and neck man because I wrote. Okay, so basically he he he mentioned everything he just said was a very shortened version of what you can find in these other other books in the the the keynote especially. I think we took a lot more time than a half hour, but I think it was a good introduction to Halakha. [music] [singing] [music] [singing] [music] [singing] [music] [singing]