I Am Making this Covenant Also with Those Who are Not Here with Us by Rabbi Aaron Dovid Poston

anybody [Music] Shalom everybody Welcome to the event of eight midrash welcome home to Torah it's a very warm welcome by the way and I want to mention before we begin that thank God and thank you thank everyone who has contributed to the ibrah hasid fund we have reached almost 90 percent of our goal we have a week left to go and this week is obviously very important every single day we can attack game we can fix the days of the year um through our Behavior right through our headset through our kind acts and there's been opportunity to focus the intensity of our prayers our actions our interpersonal relationships and whatnot so anyway I want to thank every single one of you I wish I could personally it was like almost 150 contributors so far and the truth is even though we only we have a specific goal if we do bypass that goal we will use that money uh appropriately and distribute it for those who are new and what I do encourage you to do oh by the way so the link to contributors Down Below in the YouTube description box in the on the video we also would appreciate if you learned with us in Hebrew the original Hebrew you don't get the black and you don't get the colored version but you get the black and white which you could find in a link below you have to kind of search for it I mean it gives you the link and then you have to choose the book in the year and there are um original Hebrew Source sheets we encourage you to follow along so we're in nitsavim and it's a double Parsha Nitza vim and we're in chapter 29 verse 13. okay if you really want the associated English Source sheets you can send me an email the email also is on our website and we're in chapter 29 verse 13. and it begins actually I want to also read 13. so 13 and 14. and I'll read it in English first and then in Hebrew so Moses is a long diatribe he's discussing his uh all of Deuteronomy basically is his own words before he passes on the last six and a half weeks of his life and he says but only with you I'm sorry but not only but not only with you am I making this Covenant and this oath it's not only with you but with those standing here now this is it's a little hard to follow but follow this but with those understanding here with us today before the Lord our God foreign so not only right with those who are standing here today but also those who are not with us here today who is that who is that who are those who are not here with us today that are entering this Covenant I think this is a very deep question and a deep class and we will discuss many possibilities but we're going to start with the basis of Rashi Rashi says also the future Generations again who is that that's quite vague isn't it it's vague I mean does that mean the Jewish people's descendants what about converts what about converts it obviously has to involve converts and I wanted to throw in an idea that in tamuric terminology we call a convert a gershnet Guyer a convert who converts that's how you translate it so what does that mean agair a convert who converts it must be we're talking about those that entered the Covenant and harsinai now this is 40 years later so this is a a deeper Covenant but that doesn't exclude those who whoever was there at Sinai 40 years later before we enter the into the uh into the Holy Land they're also that's what Rashi says also with the future Generations now it's going to be hard we're not going to focus in on the converse this is not about Converse necessarily or about non-jewish souls or Jewish Souls that are in non-jewish bodies but we will touch upon these subjects as we go along and I'm glad that I had an opportunity to just point that out so the first thing the clear card brings is a few observations and questions so on paid page tough Shin iron bet which is 772 halfway down where it says your giml he quotes our verse so it's not with you alone that I'm you know making and forging this Covenant but it's not only Covenant it's also an oath so right away the CLIA car mentions Rove many of the commentators are at loss they actually are bewildered they're they're questioning very much so this oath why him it's true it was on the Israelites the Jewish people who are about to enter the land of Israel but it was the al-zaram it was on their seed who were not yet in the world meaning their children and again you have to know that anybody who converts becomes a Jew full-fledged and they also have children so we are including it's obvious we're including even the converts who convert and their children okay they enter this Covenant where they're going to be obligated to keep the Torah so the clear card is asking how does it work how is it possible if someone doesn't exist physically right how are you to enter how can we create this Covenant and they're not even in existence now the truth is there's another idea it's the clear card does not discuss this but in terms of taking responsibility for somebody else for example if I want to sell my parents hummates on pesach I want to sell their bread so they thought they don't own it before pesach I don't have to really even ask them of course it would be better to have their permission but if they weren't keeping uh Kosher for pesach it's going to be in their benefit they might think it's not well who am I to sell their clubmates and even against their will but if it's for their benefit I can certainly do it so or maybe an acquisition this is a sale same thing with an acquisition I can acquire something if it's in the interest of the person even without discussing with them so the seed the Jewish people's progeny future progeny are entering this Covenant well we're going to find out it is knowingly but knowingly or unknowingly I mean the the typical example would be me who's born you know 60 Generations later I can always turn around and say who are they to enter the Covenant for me why should I be obligated well because honestly it was in my benefit it's to my benefit to enter this Covenant but that's what the clear card has how is it even possible how does such an oath take place for people who are not like physically in this world and we're going to see some deep insights now the next line I have to admit I never saw the actual text that he quotes So I'm not sure what their issue was but he says the root problem you can find in a safer called the akedah which is a very old safer the nimshaced and follows extends from this idea of the question the akeda brings up so too rabbitsaka barbanel and other commentators also question however let's move on he right away brings this idea that Rashi brought and it's from the Middle the opinion of the rabbis is according to the madrish and Rashi said it ayushan that all the souls that were destined to be created were there meaning are we talking about Jewish cells imagine so the yes you can actually examine carefully and see precisely within the the change of the language of the verse now this takes a lot of concentration because in verse 14. it's said like this the words standing before the Lord is only referring to those who were physically there the ones who are not physically there are no right it doesn't mention they're standing before the Lord but it's the not part that's important as well so read it again in English but with those standing here with us today before the Lord our God comma or semicolon and also with those who are not here with us today this day but it doesn't mention those words standing before the Lord what's the significance let's just hear how he explains it right if you really carefully examine the change in the language at the beginning it says let's say comma and the second part those words o maid with nashem is not there not omaid and not Live Nation foreign so the very fact the clear card says it does not say those who are not here today with us standing today before the Lord and how he concludes this must be talked about nishamos it's because of the word they're not see what happens by Souls they are always constantly standing before the Lord so the very fact it says they're not standing here before the Lord in the second point proves that we must be talking about nishamot ethereal energy spirits I hope that was clear so it's not only the words om made with now sham is missing but it would have been going on a nenu that they're not so the very fact those words are not there shows us and we're going to prove that what happens by Soul souls are constantly standing in front of Hashem and then watch what he says even though they're not actually physically here with us that what is it about souls nevertheless they are constantly standing before Hashem underneath his throne of Glory that's where they exist before they come into the world just like angels do you know that angels are called the ones who stand so I want to take you on a small journey to Zechariah Chapter 3 Verse 7. so says the Lord of hosts is actually you'll see this talking about um after death and the resurrection of the dead but so says the Lord opposed if you walk in my ways and you keep my charge you too shall judge my house and you too shall guard my courtyards I will give you free access among those who stand by so the last part of him I'm placing you amongst those who have free access who who walk around among the angels okay now the Rashi mentions who are these who stand by they are the srafi ministering Angels who never sit and okay so that's what angels are called they're called omdim they don't really walk they fly and they stand and that's it and they're constantly in front of Hashem meaning an angel can be in two places at the same time right we can talk about that another time and how that works now he says now if you carefully examine the word imana with us it didn't have to say that it could have just left that word out it could have just said and those well I shared those that are not here today that would but it says they're not with us here today so what do you need with us but rather the doctor take me if you're really carefully examine it's Daft with us they're not so they have existence but they're just not with us so that is another proof we're talking about souls so they're not with us but they're with God that's what it means but they are with Hashem and they're standing in front of him another question meaning the commentators have asked this question is it even possible for a soul to take an oath to swear well anybody familiar with the Tanya knows that it brings down the mishna and the Gomorrah from abrasive from Nida and we'll see it shortly actually we'll see right now it's number three on the English tour sheet I just want to go to the very bottom I mean it does mention something interesting in the beginning once the fetus emerges into the airspace of the world an angel comes slaps it on its mouth causing it to forget the entire Torah just you should know and Judy is in the way we look at it is that we are taught the entire Torah and I think this applies to non-jews as well the least the Torah they need to know meaning there's a um not conscience and I mean that is the word you know there's like an internal Compass of right and wrong you know what is right or wrong internally and you are cause to forget it and we spend their entire lives recapturing that which we were taught while in the womb now there is a verse in Isaiah 45 23 that to me every knee shall bow that is talking about the soul when he dies and every tongue shall swear that's a reference to the soul before it's born will make this oath now just go down to the very bottom and what is the oath that the Angels administer to the fetus be righteous and do not be Wicked so that you have to swear I'm going to be righteous but what does that mean in real terms that if the entire world calls you they say to you how righteous you are how righteous you are consider yourself less than that less than righteous consider yourself even Wicked meaning that you are blessed with them you're just Flesh and Blood I don't know if it means you're actually Wicked but do not consider yourself righteous consider yourself knowing you have the Yates the bigger your Yates are told the bigger your eights hurray and you are prone to be Wicked and never rest on your laurels do not look at yourself remember we talked about the idea that that if you just you're like you should look at the whole world is in balance and if you just do one sin you're gonna not only weigh your judgment to the negative but the whole world and so too the other way thank God if you can just do one Mitzvah you'll be judged properly you know righteously and so too will the whole world so never think of yourself as too righteous and know that the Holy One blessed me he is pure and his ministers are pure and the soul that he gave you is pure and if you do preserve it meaning in you your whole hundreds 120 years of life in a state of Purity that's great but if you do not keep it pure then Hashem or through an angel will take it away from you that being the angel of death okay so now let's go back into the clear car and we'll just read the last few lines in Hebrew from the Gomorrah the Gamora asked is it possible for a an a shama assault to make an oath we find an example to this page 30 side B should be Yom haleda that the very day you the fetus is Born the man is forced to swear that the man meaning the person that I will be righteous and I won't be Wicked so that is the oath that every soul takes upon birth so that was her medicine now the clear card is now going to with my opinion make things a little bit more complicated but that's okay because so far we have a good foundation for what we're talking about in vidnira he begins as the last line it seems that the rest the continuation of the storyline of the rest of the verses follow this thesis follow this concept of the Soul who's not yet here being born not yet born is taking this oath to enter the Covenant and swear to follow the torahs because one could ask there's certainly worthy of asking what does it says regarding what it says like in verse 15 it said we didn't read 15 yet we read 13 and 14. go to verse 15. [Applause] and we're gonna actually be 15 16 and 17. it's kind of like a series but let's just read 15 for a moment for you know how we dwelled in the land of Egypt right Moses saying true God you know how you dwelt in the land of Egypt and take another note in verse 17. I highlight it says perhaps there's among you a man and perhaps there's among you a root so you know let's read the English through through from beginning to end for you know how we dwelt in the land of Egypt and how we passed among the Nations through which you passed and you saw their Abominations and their repugnant Idols of wood and stone silver and gold which were with them and then the last verse 17 perhaps there is among you a man a woman a family A Tribe whose heart Strays this day from the Lord Our God to go to worship the deities of those Nations perhaps there is a root perhaps there's among you a root that produces Hemlock and wormwood so basically the Hebrew that I want you to focus on right now we already read the beginning right now right for you have known that we dwelt literally in the land of Egypt because we're going to see that too we passed among the Nations through which you have passed um a share of artem and then continuation of the tiru could say him and you saw their Abominations and their gods and whatnot and then it says pen it's going to say pen twice pen means usually means lest but here it means perhaps pen yesh believe ish perhaps there is amongst a person a certain type of well it says um whose heart Strays looking after these other gods of the Nations and then at the end it says maybe there's a root that produces these words Hemlock and wormwood are basically diseases that you need to cut off at the roots okay so that's why it says among you a root that produces the only way to get rid of it is to cut it off at the root but it comes out in the leaves and the branches okay with that in mind let's go back into the clear car because all he pointed out so far was the beginning of verse 15. you guys know that you have dwelt and lest or perhaps this will happen and perhaps that will happen so with the clear card immediately asks Nino who why not combine the two people don't talk like this if you have two perhaps just say perhaps once list one and then say or the next why say perhaps twice I hope you're following me perhaps this will happen or that will happen why do I need to say perhaps this will happen or perhaps that will happen unless I'm talking to two different groups of people okay and that is what the clear car is going to perhaps focus on but he all he asks right now is why do you notice you have the word pen perhaps twice and he asked the question let it or maybe it's a statement let it learn all combined meaning you only need one perhaps and then continue the thought or this or that so now in the second line down he's going to begin to give a reason the verse itself is is giving you a reason the reason for what love me it's tariqlo perhaps the reason right why it was necessary to cause the children who were not even yet in the world who are not yet born to make this oath how can ahmadan therefore it was stated in a you could say it's a storyline the word massive usually means like a business deal a negotiation or a give and take it literally means give and take so in verse 15 it says I'm sure you know you guys know you you lived in Egypt now this is talking to not the souls but the parents meaning the actual Israelites who left Egypt visham lefaro sham hainu of the power we were certainly there's no question about it we were slaves to pharaoh and being slaves we were then redeemed we if they knew Hashem God did redeem us from Egypt he redeemed us he redeemed us from there almanas on condition so we the parents the Jews who left Egypt we were redeemed and we have a obligation right we're like locked in this Covenant but what about this Covenant we're talking about today you know 40 Days Later the souls the first of all many of them were not slaves in Egypt but the souls also were not slaves in Egypt so you have a reason to lock them in but the children who were not slaves I share Lo yahshua bharatham Shrine not only that they didn't live they didn't dwell in Egypt below Nifty they were never redeemed remember the Redemption is what locks you into keep the Torah so you need to enter into the Covenant to keep the term now if that's true yet Anu they could claim they could make a claim usually whenever it says this which means a mistaken claim they would claim mistakenly lament why should we except upon ourselves the Yoke of God's commands kyotano lopod Hashem God never redeemed us so therefore either God speaking or motion speaking or Moses speaking God's behalf as we know that's Deuteronomy therefore there's a necessity to bring the children into this Covenant now what about the adults the aim tomorrow if the adult I think that's what it's saying if the adults would say if that's the case foreign why would we have to make the oath because we were redeemed we already locked we're already locked in hello isn't right they're already acclaimed isn't it or illogical that we have Hashem above us it was on that condition that he already redeemed us and that's why it says in verse 16 go back to number four the middle verse you saw their Abominations oh no actually sorry it's the latter part of 15. the latter part of 15 how we passed among the Nations through which you passed and then the beginning of 16 and you saw their Abominations so we who left Egypt we passed amongst all these nations and we saw their disgusting idols now the next statement is quite cryptic Harish star of the chovru emo what it usually means is you have in your hand the document that you owe so many money but you also have in your hand the document that you paid it so how you look at it well it's a good thing you paid it but it was a bad thing you had to take it in the beginning to start with it that's it could also mean it's like a get out of free car of get out of jail free card there's a lot of ways this phrase can take on a meaning of its own I actually looked it up on Google just as a uh there's a certain website that has expressions and then I took that I already understood what it meant but I printed it out anyway so I want to read it to you just to get like an idea of where this might be going because I have a feeling this definition is closer than the things I mentioned so it's a Hebrew expression who betoi Ivory lapif it's definitely a Hebrew expression where a person uh our Dream Hebrew he knows so a person can benefit from some type of advantages that would be granted to him regarding certain behaviors oh my record nasiboat given certain circumstances but the problem is but he must recognize the person has to recognize these sets of behaviors or the certain set of circumstances it might take away and negate any advantages even obligate the person if certain conditions are not met so and it could be even to his detriment so it sounds like it's a little complicated for every Advantage there's always a difference disadvantage that's how I would simply put that phrase to every Advantage is a disadvantage so you have these two categories of people the ones who left Egypt and the ones who were Souls who were never really slaves in Egypt nor were they redeemed in that sense so right after that phrase he starts to discuss the two sidesmen Shrine the very fact that we did at least the adults right they dwelt in Egypt ianu that's the advantage right they wouldn't need to make this oath s but like it said in the beginning at the end of 15 in the beginning of 16. we've passed among the Nations and we saw their Abominations there is a little bit to be concerned about and that was where the first perhaps comes in maybe there'll be an enticement towards this um I know we're saying we're calling item which is very disgusting but guess what it says it's meant is no it's um from Silver and Gold listen if it's from Silver and Gold but there's going to be an additional Factor as well so there could be an enticement towards the and even others we were in Egypt we know how bad it was we're not going back but what about the Nations the other nations there might be a um there might be an enticement towards that therefore there is an advantage to having an oath be taken anyway now in tomru we're actually starting over like if you want to say if that's the case the whole question comes back to the very beginning because we start off with the idea that it works out well us the adults Hoots right the adults would have to make the oath the ones that saw all these abominable gods of these nations we get the idea that maybe they will be enticed to follow after them but what about the children avalbe nenenu regarding the the souls that weren't born yet they never witnessed what these nations had these disgusting Idols used and why would we have any uh fear or concern that they would follow after them they never saw them they came to land of Israel the land of Israel is pure no foreign Idols no foreign philosophies just pure Torah that's why it actually says the second perhaps see the second perhaps was talking about the root perhaps there's among you a root that produces this disease this vile thing the root meaning the parents meaning the kids are pure but what about the roots look what he says from the very fact these children on their own would never we're never going to suspect that they would follow after idol worship because they never even saw them they never heard of them thank God but there is to be concern and I'll just add the word like DNA or whatever is coming down through the parents thoughts process perhaps the time of uh the conception or maybe there's a there could be a root problem with the parents and the kids are right they say that Apple doesn't fall too far from the tree so there is to be concerned look in Isaiah chapter 14 verse 29. so over there I just want to read the last part but we'll read the whole thing Rejoice not felista all of you that the rod that's module has been broken for the root from the root of the snake shall create a venomous Serpent and his offspring is a fiery flying serpent so in the Hebrew is of sepha so the the um basically Rashi says from the snake itself comes out another snake which is even worse than the first snake so understanding that just because the children's would be immune to a votazara don't think for a second that they're totally immune if it's in the DNA if it's within the seed that could produce it's just something to be concerned about therefore an oath must be taken for the children as well that they will not follow after idle worship okay so now the last three lines of that paragraph it could be that just one of them would make a claim or some kind of uh holding a drug a grudge in their own Hearts um right we know this idea that what happens to the fathers is foreshadowing what will happen to the children the nature of the child is following after the nature of the father meaning the parents kamoha enough just like branches are nimsha just like the branches are come out of and follow after the sharesh so it's like hereditary proclivity right that's the concept alkane Anita therefore Moses or in this case Hashem through Moses is saying I therefore require that also the children were let's say the souls are not even born yet swear not to get involved with idol worship and now the clear car is actually going to explain how this works out so well with the two pension how this now he's going to just describe how the two perhaps work out so well as I mentioned he could be talking to two different groups remember why don't you just combine the two and don't use the second pen and just say perhaps this or that will happen because you're talking to two different groups he says keepen re-shown the first time pen was used that's where I get my thing over open he said that this was referring to perhaps there's among you a man a woman whose heart is going to stray that's referring to the avos I think we made that clear that speaking to the the ones who left Egypt and passed through the non-jews they saw all the detestable Idols of the Goya lest they follow after them what about the second pen pen Shaney is that's going on the children who are yet to be born even though they did not actually pass through and see the disgusting things of the Nations who worship idols nevertheless there is to be concern that they received the nature of the root the root being the avos shame shoresh Mar that's where the disease began yifru rosh volana and that's the different words that we had over there by the hemlock and the uh the wormwood whatever that is now he does switch gears a little bit to say oh yeah I have to tell you the truth I didn't really see a great difference even though he says you're able to say as if there's a difference so maybe that's not what he's saying but he does say these words perhaps you're able to say that the whole storyline from as we start in verse 15 for you know how we dwelt until the last pen in verse 17 about there is among your roots and the reason I'm saying it's not that different because at the very end he says the last pen also applies to the children so let's assume he's talking like this that both pens apply to the avos but the second pen also applies to the children with that in mind key on my because what could be said after the fact that you lived in Egypt and you did leave from there is the Egyptian gods were powerless of course they're powerless but they were shown to be powerless Hashem create all kinds of Miracles and destroyed them but afterwards right we saw Egypt was decimated and then we're walking amongst the and we did not decimate them we didn't decimate them and not only did we not decimate them okay we passed through them God did not allow us to acquire their their um their land so what would you be thinking maybe their gods are more powerful than the Egyptian gods maybe they're still an enticement for their God INE Bizet this could lead one to make a mistake by saying the following thing shall a cockness Elohim Israel this is why the you know the calamities occurred in Egypt right they were destroyed the Egyptian gods were Hashem destroyed below but not the gods of the the Nations that we passed amongst why this is the two this is the mistake people would say because their gods of the you know surrounding Nations around between Israel between Egypt and Israel their gods are more powerful than the Egyptian gods so the uh the god of Egypt was destroyed the gods of these other nations are more stronger than the gods of Egypt okay now you might come to say the Tom room you might actually make this mistake by saying that it's for this reason that we're not we were never able to destroy the Nations that surrounded Israel because as the verse actually says right after the word silver and gold which were with them right it's not talking about the silver and gold some at their gods that were with them the gods were with them so we might think oh because their gods were with them and then it says right in verse 16 and you saw their disgusting you know idos that was with them the word with them the very word milit that is part of their claim oh their God is with them that's an enticement to go after their gods Elam that their God was with them to save them yes but those meaning the children who never had a chance they never lived in Egypt they wouldn't have such a strong inclination because they never saw the decimation of Egypt and they also didn't really walk through and see the victory it's not really a victory for the going but they weren't decimated thank you so much alone Steve ah shabbat shalom okay any questions because we uh just us [Music]