Save Yourself From the Calamities of This World with Rabbi Aaron Dovid Poston

Heat. Heat. [music] [singing] [music] [singing] >> [music] [singing] [music] [singing] >> Shalom everybody. Welcome back to the yan bait midash. Welcome home to Torah. A warm a warm welcome home. H as we all know we deal with the clear as the basis of our discussion. reminding everybody that uh you could find the original Hebrew sheets in the description box below on the YouTube channel and there's a link that'll take you to the YA website and you just have to find the right para the right year and the right title and you're good to go. We encourage you to follow along. As we know the the book the gioreim was written by the clear and that's the actual book we're using and we always deal with fundamentals things that are very fundamental in Judaism. It's for all levels right but one of the concept is to um it's called a discipline. It's a discipline within Judaism called makshava to actually have deep thought philosophical and theological thoughts about things. It's not hala, right? It's deeper than that. It's deeper. Sometimes the hal has come out and we're going to see why we do what we do sometimes. So the puss that we're going to deal with is in Genesis 28:10. We know that Jacob left Beerv and he went to just for those biblical scholars, right? When you have the he at the end of a place, it's the same as if you had a lammed in the beginning. The lammed before a place means you're going to a place. It's referring to a place. you're in the pre uh the process of transporting yourself to a place like the word aph. It's a city but in in in the Bible a fraata, right? Because that's where Yakov was going. So the lammed in the beginning is equivalent to the hay at the end or the in other words it's it's one or the other. You don't need both. But don't be mistaken to think that there's no it means to haran. That's my first biblical lesson to you. Now, we're going to read a a medish. Um, that's how he begins. He always begins with this medish, and he will talk about it at some point. Not tonight. We're talking about a 15-page um thesis, and we're only going to get through a page and a half, maybe two pages. That's it. So, the real nuts and bolts of how this medish fits in, he'll he'll get to in many pages later. and I didn't get that far. So, we're just going to go through the first two pages. So, interestingly enough, the if you look at Rashi where I underlined it, it's basically a um a synopsis of the medish. So, the complaint that the medish is bringing or the question the Medus is bringing, why do you even need to know that he went out of Beva? Just say where he's going. He went to Karan. Why do we need to know that he left Beesva and um the Medish basically says listen if you look down in source number two and they're going to ask the same thing about Naomi when she left Mau what she left he left you have to tell me they left didn't every day people come and go didn't you have donkey drivers didn't you have camel drivers that left on a daily basis from this place what's so important that he left beh so it's very interesting We'll read the rashi first. Scripture had only to write Yakov went to Karan. Why does it mention his where he departed from? So this tells us that the departure of a righteous person from a place makes an impression. What kind of impression? I mean there's different ways to look at it. First of all, he wasn't alone. There was Rifka and Yeetszak were there. But a a do you mean make an impression? Oh, let's you know what? Let's read the words in the measures first. Go to the Hebrew sheets. It says the whole time it's sadic is in a particular place. He is its splendor. He is its shine. [snorts] He is its beauty. There's something about the place that has become enhanced because of that person's presence. And when he departs as the measure says all those things leave with him but again you have and Rifka there how much of an impression is one person going to make when you're if you were the only sadik okay I get it the rashime are happy to have you leave because you know you're constant reminder of um you your behavior that has to change or improve. So I get I get I get it when you're the only sadic or maybe the biggest sadic. Okay. I always imagine you go to town like you know the walks through town and all the flowers start to bloom as he walks by and then as he passes then they'll wither away again, right? Just imagine. Well, that's what I thought. Well, it's it's much deeper than that, of course. And the I'm going to go back to the rashi. So while the righteous man is in the city, he is its beauty. He is its splendor and he is its majesty. When he departs departs from there, its beauty is departed. Its splendor departed and the majesty departed and then it brings Rashi. Rashi brings the in McGillis Ruth that she she went from that place. Right? The idea was Hayasha, who did she leave behind? She was the only Sedcas. Naomi was the only Sedcas. What about Ruth? Okay, Ruth did come with her, but in the in the in the beginning, she wanted to leave them behind. Uh Ruth and her sister Orpa. So the idea is a concept that we are probably familiar with from a secular point of view or a scientific point of view and that is the statement that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. So, let's just say you have 10 men. They want to make a minion. Each individual, let's just say it's 10%. I don't like putting percentages, but let's just use simple math. 10%. But when you have 10 men together, it's 200%. There's something that each Jew is magnifying the greatness of the other. Each sodic is magnifying the the [clears throat] the so when he leaves the medit implies that and Rifka went back to being not normal people above normal but still the greatness that they had was because Yaku was in their presence because another saddak was in their presence and this is what I want to say just on the side this is why it's so important to go to minion >> we are elevating ourselves and we're elevating others >> okay when we when we join a minion whether it's for admining or for learning like we have here. So many people sitting and learning. It's a big difference in learning on your own. Uh by the way, so I looked up this statement and um according to Google, this is attributed to a person by the name of Aristotle. I'm not so sure because we have it right here. This is this is the source that [clears throat] uh not only did Yakov leave Bereva had to say it because of the diminishing of the greatness of the people there as well not just the place and also by Ruth and they live way before Aristotle um but basically I'll just sum up what Aristotle does say or what his thesis is and that's what Judaism says that this idea [snorts] um occurs because of synergy the the interaction creat creates new properties that wouldn't have existed had they remained separate. >> And that's what we're saying when we say that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Okay. Now let's move on to the actual clear itself. And he begins by telling us some very fundamental ideas that this world is a world full of exchanges. I remember of no Weinberg Zatal the Rosha of Ahhatra had said so many times we have five levels of pleasure. We were created as pleasure seekers. That's what we are. And there's five different levels of meaning you know from you know from a an intimate relationship with God down to you know from family and for causes all the way down to even physical pleasure. But there are a constant exchange. He uses the term exchange. There's counterfeit pleasure and then there's real everlasting pleasure. And we're constantly faced with those choices. So [clears throat] it's a very nice the clear is probably the source for this if not um others. But basically this world is full of exchanges. We're constantly exchanging either for good or for bad or for worse. that there are all these um events and circumstances and meetings and maybe even calamities that fall upon a person and and occur during the lifetime of a person and a person cannot hide from them. You're gonna be faced with these choices and they're going to come to you and we're going to see what we're talking about. Specifically, I just thought of, you know, death and taxes. They used to say you can't hide from it. It's just like it's a reality that you cannot hide from. These are things that will happen in life. And this is the I think this is very interesting because this is going to be the whole thesis that there are four directions. Well, we'll call it ROS. We're going to call them directions, but it can mean wind. It could mean spirit. Um, the purpose, the good purpose, the positive purposes of our lives, they come to a person from four different directions. Now, any if you do all of them without purpose, then it's not for the good. It's for the it's actually could be cause a loss. And And all those different exchanges that we could do for good or for bad with all of existence of in this world they include what we call the four directions. We're in the fourth dimension. There are north, east, south, and west. That's why the doll of Shma Israel is emphasized. We're talking about knowing that God is one in this world. Dalid always rents. The number four always represents this world. [cough] That's why the name Yehuda, we were discussing that earlier. It's yud v with a dalid, right? Yudke vke is God's name, right? Was, is, and will be. But the dalid represents us, the ambassadors in this world. So Yehuda is God's name with the doll. Got it? We are represent. We are God's representative in Olaz. Okay. So the D represents that. So from the four different directions. Look at the source sheet in number three. Genesis chapter 24 28:14. We're only talking about four verses later. God promises Yakov. He's on his way out of Eric Israel to go and find a wife. He's also running away from Asaf. >> [clears throat] >> But God promises him, "Your seed shall be as the dust of the earth," which means you cannot count it and it's all over the place and you shall gain strength. Listen to those words. Uparata, you're going to spread out, but you're going to be strong. Now, in a certain sense, we're talking about galut exile, right? At some point, maybe that's called the exchange rate for the negative. There's also a positive. You're going to gain strength westward and eastward and northward and southward the vita veneba. Just think about those names. Yama why is it called why is west? Because the Mediterranean sea is myama. The the yama is the sea. So the sea is west of inertra. Kadma kadm that's east because the sun rises in east. That's where everything begins on the daily basis. Also means hidden but it means north and negv. Nega has a few it's very dry. It is true. Um it's a it's a desert but it's in the south. Negah. Negv. Nega is south. [snorts] just keep you know it's always good to think about the the words. So the clear explains based on that God promised Yakov he said to him you're going to gain strength in all these four directions. Well guess what this is going to be how if we understand what it means to gain strength properly in those four directions. We're going to overcome and we're going to succeed in life. And he says here what do what do what do most people chase after? Money. That's one that's one thing. There's four things and they come from different directions. And we have them in the Tanakh that these four things come from these different directions. Okay. So he says like this that these four directions, we're going to talk about directions first. that these four different directions include all of existence, that people chase after, that people relate to, that people are concerned about. And the first one k is oisher, wealth, money. If you want to just make the list now, money, children, wisdom, and a long, let's just say a long healthy life. That's what people want. people are chasing. This is the the the guts of ol and they come from the four different directions. So he uses sukim to explain we already saw the first one you're going to gain your strength but we don't have those we don't have the matchup of the four things people chase with the four directions. So he spends a little bit of time doing that. I have to say one of them isn't as clear as I would love it to be, but if we investigate it could be that it's much clearer than we know. But at the moment, oish the first thing we'll deal with in Job 37:22. Let's look at number four on the source sheet. It says, "Golden splendor comes from the north." Now, we're going to also find out that evil comes from the north. So gold wealth can be used for good as this verse gold and splendor comes from the from the north on God there is an awesome glory now look at the rashi in fact uh the very second part of the rashi let's read the whole rashi right the north wind blows and drives away the rain and then the sun shines that could be simple shot that's what it means that the golden glory comes from the north where does it start we're in the northern hemisphere it starts in the northeast and then it proceeds down down down down down to the south and then it settles in the southwest. Okay, so that could be what it means. Rashi also says what does it mean gold comes from the north? Remember I said it's saf the good gold is hidden for those who bring themselves to the commandments of the holy one blessed be he and believe in the very awesome God. So there is wealth if you're going to do the right thing, right? So there's a good side to wealth there. Unfortunately, it can also be used in a very negative way as we will see. There's two other the next verse he says tomorrow. However, the master of exchange can take place and it says in Cohelish 5:12, that's Ecclesiastes 5:12 and number five in the source sheet. There's a grievous evil that I saw under the sun. Riches kept by their owner for his harm. Which means like this. If you're not going to spend it, you're you're you're massing the wealth because you just want to amass wealth. We're going to see that is problematic. So, you're not using your wealth properly. You're not giving it away. You're not spending it on on the on the right things. You're you're guarding it for yourself. In fact, he mentions like the riches of Korak. Look at Rashi because of which he became haughty and descended into the grave. He was wealthy and he obviously did not use his wealth uh purposefully for good and he brings Yerma 1:14 and the Lord said to me from the more from the north the misfortune will break forth. So there's also we saw from the north you could have good wealth or unfortunately evil and the har and um bad things can come from the north. Okay then he be discusses bunnim children come from the east. Okay, if you want to write this down, wealth comes from the north. Children come from the east. Misra, it's coming from the east. As it says in Isaiah 43:5, "Fear [snorts] not, for I am with you. From the east, I will bring your seed." This is referring to Zerah, right? In the Hebrew, it says um misra. Okay. Okay, from the east I'll bring your seed is obviously talking about um that the children come from the east the ru and now that same direction guess what you also there's also an exchange rate that goes on that is for the bad ines Ezekiel 7 26 and number eight on the source sheet in the abundant waters your ormans brought you the east wind broke for you in the heart of sees as I mentioned in the beginning there was one idea that was a little difficult to plug in. This is the one because he brings these two verses that are a broken heart or broken seas the the it broke you in the heart of the seas yamim. So I'm not really sure how that exactly plays in with children although I have children and they break our hearts but it could be very tur tur turbulent. Uh the next source he brings is in Isaiah 27:8 which somehow either relates to children directly or relates to the the sea because it says I meant I meant the east wind. It says in that measure when they when they sent them out and strove it strove with it he spoke with his harsh wind on the day of the east wind. So there's something very turbulent and perhaps it relates to children. I personally didn't see it but the clear card is explaining there's an exchange rate on children and the next thing he brings down isma in order to reach wisdom to grasp wisdom wisdom happens to be called yamaik yama what is yama again it means the sea right the west is called the sea Ravoam that at least in the west part of Israel that's where you find the sea we call the Yikon the Mediterranean Sea that's the big ocean from from Israel and then he brings a puss in Isaiah 11:9 okay so we just discussed how Um, uh, wisdom is related to the sea. And now in Isaiah 11:9, it says, "For neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mount, for the land shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as water covers the earth." Right? this is messianic that the whole world will be aware and conscious of the one true God of Israel, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Like a recent president got up and said, um, right, president of the United States. So it says in Hebrew, like the water that's covering the seabed, right? And so everyone will know about. So that's wisdom. Then he says even wisdom has its exchange for the negative. So negative look in Cohelis Ecclesiastes it's actually 1 verse 18 not 8 as the verse as the page says it says over there it's number 11 on the source sheet. For in much wisdom is much is much vexation. That's called in Hebrews anger. And he who increases knowledge increases pain. The yoseph there's some type of negativity that is attributed or associated with wisdom. Thank God we don't know from it. Right? Perhaps so that so far what did we have? We had wealth comes from the north. The children come from the easternly direction. We're talking about a wind, a spirit. And then wisdom comes from the west. What about long life? Now what he does, he actually ties it into wisdom which we said is the west. But watch what he goes. He does third line down on the left side. Al dome the word dar means south. It's a hint to a long life. Like it says in khazal in baba basra. Now I'm going to if I read it you might get confused because it says if you want wisdom you you face the south and if you want wealth you face the north. We all know you have to face harbayat and when you're in shalim you're facing harbay. When you're in the world you're facing shalim. When you're on the harbide you're facing the holy of holies. It doesn't mean face south. What it means is that's why there's hokic aspects in the temple courtyard in the south you had the minora by the way that's why the custom is to put the minora in the shaw on the southern wall or this close to the south cuz in the courtyard that's where the monora is and the monora represents wisdom whereas the table the shan is in the north and the table represents mus it represents wealth right what else is the king supposed supposed to do. He's supposed to make prosperity. He's supposed to make sure that everybody has uh two pot two chickens in a pot and and a twocar garage, I guess, whatever. And safety and security, right? Perosa. Make sure everyone's doing okay. That's le right. The Messiah comes from Ble and we're talking about the the breads. So that represents wealth. So if you just move yourself a little bit, you still face the direction. Look, we're in the south of Jerusalem. So we face north, but I if I want wisdom, I should face two two centimeters, 2 millimeters, whatever to the right, which is yamin. Y is south, right? We're going to see that also. Uh if I want wealth, I face my my left hand. I go a little bit to the left, but I don't turn my whole body around. I just move just a short little bit. Okay. So, we just discussed, we're starting to discuss tell us that if you're interested in wisdom, you you you park yourself a little bit to the south. And the idea of wisdom anyway hints to a long life. How do we know that? Look in Ecclesiastes 7:12. That's number 11 on the source sheet. No, it's past there. It's uh number 13 on the source sheet. Whoever is in the sha shade of wisdom is in the shade of money. And the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to its possessor. So knowledge causes yes it causes wealth but it main point is that it causes a long life. That's the thesis he wants to show you that right right the advantage of knowledge is that is that wisdom gives life to its possessor. Look at Rashi real quick. What does it mean? And moreover wisdom has an advantage over money in so far as wisdom gives life to its possessor. So the the Gomorrah actually said in Gomorrah Baba Basra 25b that even though if you want wisdom you go you you point a little bit to the right if you want wealth you point a little bit to the left it concludes like King Solomon did you get both if you go to the right because you'll if you're smart enough it'll help you get money right that's could be why the Jews are quite um creative and industrious not all of us but But we help each other right? Okay. So the clear says like this like the P we just said it also says in Job 12:12 in number 14 in elders there is wisdom and in longevity there is understanding. In other words, there's an equation with wisdom and long life. Okay? I mean, it's really obvious. The older you are, the more you gain wisdom. I am the that's I say obvious, it's not so obvious, but that's really the goal here that every day we learn something new, right? And we're we're smarter than we were yesterday. Um, that is hopefully where we're all at. Unfortunately, we're not, but we try and uh you stand up for an older person because the assumption is they have a lot of wisdom. Now, he says, now even though we just talked about how great longevity is and it's wise, it's related to wisdom, King Solomon um denigrated. He had a few verses that didn't speak highly about old age. [snorts] [clears throat] For example, for example, in um Cohelis chapter 4 verse two, he says, "And I praise the dead who have already died." I mean, that's pretty, what's the word? What's the word I'm looking for? That's pretty, you know, pessimistic, right? And not only that, he also said something very not nice about life, a long life in um in Cohelis 6, chapter 6 verse 6. We're going to refer back to this again. And if he had lived a thousand years twice, can you imagine living a thousand years? And if you live twice, 2,000 years, and experience no pleasure, do not all go to one place is like a rhetorical question, right? Now, just keep in mind, we saw in Job already where it says specifically in 238, behold, I go to the east and he is not here. The east we said are the children and we see that that all of Job's children died and that's referring to the east his children no longer there then it says in the west because what's the opposite what's the back going back from the east the west I didn't understand that is referring to I perceive him not that's going to the opposite of wisdom right it's referring to wisdom which comes from the west that he's lacking that. If you go now to the following verse 23:9, then we're going to the north. So, we did the east and the west. Now, in the north, when he made it, I do not see. So, in Hebrew, when it says north, it says small. It doesn't use the word safhone. It says left. What did we already establish? That the left, we're always facing east. The left is the north. It says Now the word aaz could mean to grasp but it also means to see and here it's translated as to see. Rashi actually points out where the accent is. It's under the alif. The very fact it's under the alif that means it's seeing whereas if the accent was under the then it would mean grasping. That's what rashi says. Okay. So he in the north when he made it I do not see and what do we say the north was the north was wealth so he lost all his wealth he wraps up the south I cannot see so also what's in the south that's we said is a long life and he he's of so when it says he wraps it up it's he's referring to the south he's wrapping up the mouth and also I cannot see. Interestingly enough, what does the say here? He says it's three lines down starting with the beginning of the verse where the east that's where the seed come from all of um Job's children had died the back that's that's west whatever is behind the east that it says low he didn't understand he wasn't able to comprehend Shalom. He was able to grasp the depth of what was going on. But it says in the left he he he did it but he didn't see it. meaning to say that even if I created the wealth which comes from the left which we said is the north I think here means not only did he not see it he also didn't grab it because it says it's not grasped by the man it's slips through your fingers as the next verse in Jeremiah 17:1 says look at that it's amazing Uh number 19, the cuckoo calls but it has not laid. So it is he who gathers riches but not mishp but not by not doing it correctly. So maybe in Hebrew say oh he made wealthish but he didn't do it with justice. He did it against the law not by right. What's going to happen? He's going to leave them in the midst of his days. Right? of so we're really talking about on a certain level the wealth is not going to last and and then he wrapped himself to the right well this refers us back to the long life which comes from the right okay and just as an example we should know what it I I mentioned to you already what it says in uh Job 23:9 N right he wraps up the south and I cannot see it that means I will not seemar just like it says in cohelis chapter 6 verse 6 which you already saw in note 16 where if I would have had a thousand years twice and I still wouldn't be um I still wouldn't see it still would not I still wouldn't have all this benefit uh no pleasure no pleasure so if you Turn the page. Even the good stuff, the pleasure I never experienced. And that's what it means. I wouldn't see it. The very same word verbiage that's used in Job 23:9 meaning to say, I'm sorry. This was the disparaging moment of schlommo saying what what's the point? If I'm not going to get pleasure then why do I need a long life? Now he says in order to save a person from these circumstances, these events, right? We don't want to end up like Job, right? For a person to end up saved in terms of the right choices, the right ha things happening with these four major ideas which are as we said they are wealth, their children, their wisdom and of course a long life. And that's what he says right here. They affect you from the four different winds, the four different directions of the world. of children aly of long life the alono wealth and money and for the person's wisdom all these four things are going to be affect you're going to be affected by what did God do that God gave us the Torah that the Jewish people go out towards freedom Let freedom ring. You are free from these from being affected in negatively by these four things. Since it says in the Torah in Mishap 3 verse 15 or 16 look at number 21 it says length of days is in its right hand referring to the Torah and its left hand are riches and honor. Um let's look at Rashi. Those who make the correct the right use of lent of their life and [snorts] engage in it or even riches and engage in it for its own sake will have length of days and surely riches and honor. But those who make the wrong use which is the left side who engage in it not for its own sake will still have riches and honor but not length of days. [clears throat] Okay. So what do we see here? The clearar is mentioning this for a reason because the Torah itself is referring to the length of days is to its right and to its left is wealth and honor. So you have within the Torah both. You have both. You have long days and wealth and honor. And what about students? Meaning if you're already learning Torah and teaching Torah, it means you have students. And the students are like children. So that also comes through the Torah. And also say length of days. As long as it's like an old what do you call like an old bottle of wine, right? The older it gets, the richer it gets, meaning in wisdom. It's going to have a wealthier taste, right? It's going to have more punch, whatever the right. So, the older the wise person gets, the more wisdom is is um acquired and given to him. So, what do we see? That you have these four things are coming from the Torah itself. And when you're doing it correctly through the Torah, there is no bad exchange that can happen where there could be a loss. And that it comes out that from within the Torah, what's going to come out, what's going to result is true freedom from those events. from those those events they're going to that are going to pass through you through these four different directions and that's what it means in in Exodus chapter 32 verse 16 it's number 23 in the source sheet we spoke about this [snorts] to to engrave on the lus so look in Rashi is the same as with you know the tough and the pet are interchangeable the same. That's an expression of engraving. But it's he mentions here in Aravan 54A which I'm sorry I didn't copy it down but basically um it's famous. Oh, I skipped something. Don't read it only as strictly engraving, but understand that through the law, this is a big like I don't know how the Christians get it so wrong, but okay. That it's through the law you find your freedom. We're not we're not bound that we don't find freedom that we actually find the freedom. In fact, anybody who's married >> testify to this. Huh? >> It's the first. It's the first deeper. It doesn't say it says your freedom is only to God. >> Yeah. So the true the very first the first verse command we call it a command. It doesn't even look like one. It's out of the ten commandments. I am the Lord your God. But who is God? He's the one who produc He's your savior. He is the one who produces freedom. He took you out of Egypt. Right? That's why Christians That's why the Christians ha have um left that out. They have a different ten commandments than we do. They split the second one into two cuz you need 10. Of course, how can they have I am the Lord your God who took you out of land of Egypt. They weren't there. We were there. So, they kind of skipped that. But it doesn't sound like it's a command. Sounds like a statement of fact. We hold, not everybody, but we hold that it's basically the first of the ten commandments. So God is the one and that's why we have this whole idea of Messiah, the whole idea of uh we're optimistic about the future that Hashem will save us. We have been saved. In other words, we have been saved. We will be saved again. He promised us. Okay. So the last thing we mentioned was the word freedom. Oh, I wanted to mention also when you add ink to paper, so it's on the paper and it could be scratched off. Whatever it is, I mentioned marry men especially know what it's like. Borders actually create freedom, right? What they say about the good neighbors. [snorts] Fences create good neighbors. So within a relationship, the wife especially creates the borders for the for the man. It's just a fact, right? And uh this is where he will find actually his own growth and his own freedom by accepting these borders. I mean there's some sexual connotations as well regarding borders and constriction. But put it like this. When you engrave, you're creating borders. You're you're etching it out and you actually have borders as opposed to just putting ink. It can go anywhere. Okay? So it it had to be engraved in order that we would be restricted and through following the law doing what's right we collectively we will find our our freedom individually as well. Okay. So then he says this is brought down in the rabbim which I couldn't find. What does it say? Now, this is a little bit. He takes this verse and he breaks it down and he breaks it down in a way that I never would have thought, but apparently there's a source for this. Okay, look in Jeremiah 2 verse 24. Am I correct? Yeah. It's it's really crazy because he's telling you this wild donkey is accustomed to the desert. Now, that's going to be the Jewish people in the good way that snuffs up the wind in her desire. That's going to be like kind of not the good way. So, why would the wild donkey be the good? We're snuffing up the wind in her desire. It seems to be not the right way. Let's look at the clear and how he starts to explain it. He takes the takes the verse. He says, said that God said to the Jewish people God wants us to be free from exile. He he wants us to be and that's what it means per lim midbar this wild ass this wild donkey is accustomed to the wilderness like this wild donkey sha mitari mishumbria you know we were called we've been called a lot of things stiff necked especially by god we're stiff necked you know that the stiff necked is the reason we were chosen because he knew we weren't going to just fall for any Tom, Dick, and Harry, you know, missionary, other religions. We were going to stick this through thin and thick and thin. And so being thick, uh, what do you say? Um, uh, stiff neck can be a good thing. So too here, this wild ass is not afraid of anyone. There's nobody that's going to cause any fear. But when it when it comes to that latter part, well, it snuffs up the wind in her desire. This idea of ruach, this idea of directions or uh the spirit of the wind that's referring to the exile happens to mention in Daniel 7:2, Daniel raised his voice and said, "I saw in my vision during the night, behold the four winds." Does that sound familiar? The four winds of the heavens were stirring up the great sea. Okay. In Hebrew, And the the medish means to say the clear card says what's the mid want to what's what message does it want to convey that God is speaking to us. I'm the one who said that this wild ass, this wild donkey is accustomed to the desert. What happened in the desert? God took us. He carried us. He moved us around in the desert in a wild place. Why did he bring us through such a wilderness? in order that we should learn some kind of conduct of behavior that's more proper. Okay? Like it says in Job, I'm sorry, Eve. Yeah. Job 6:5, which is number 28. Does a wild donkey bra when it has grasped a what does that mean? While the donkey is eating, he's not praying. Whatever making all kinds of screaming, obnoxious noises, he's eating. And you know what he has? He's got his food in front of him. And he's not worried about tomorrow. He's not worried about five minutes from now. The only thing he has his food with him. Okay? And that's what that ver verse means. Look at the top line that this wild donkey at the time he actually has what to eat. He's not at all concerned. He's not making any noise. He's not praying, screaming about the future because he has no concern about anybody taking away his food. that might take by force whatever he you know his welfare his food he knows that his nourishment his food is always in front of him and that's like the Jewish people this actually hints to the Jewish people it's talking about the Jewish people who have a strong grasp on the Torah of God. We learn this is the way of the the Torah is to eat little, right? Don't eat extravagantly. Just have a simple pa bread with some salt. That's what you should eat. Don't spend your life working so hard to make collectibles to just acquire things. All you need to do is involve yourself with the the Torah of God, the Alashem, and then God sends his love. Hashem will send what you need. He sends his love. We all need love. All you need is love and he will support you. Then you're really free. Then you're you're really free from the happenstances of time or that that happens at times that come because of the Yates. The Yates is called the old and foolish persons. We have a verse in Cohel chapter 4:13. Is it on the sheet somewhere? Yeah. Look in number 29. Right. Better a poor and wise child. Rashi says that's the good inclination. It's called a child because it it's younger than the comes when you're born, right? 12 or 13 years older, right? But what does it say about the the poor old foolish one? I'm sorry. Uh but better a poor and wise child that Rashi says he's called poor. The Yates Yates to because the limbs don't obey it. They don't obey the evil inclination. Wise. Wise because it gives a person intelligence to follow the right way. What about the old and foolish king? This is the evil inclination which rules over all the limbs and when the child's born that's when it enters. So it's the it's the older and what is it foolish? It misleads him in the way of evil. Okay. Going back into the car. So he says right. This is very interesting because the word in Hebrew without the vowels, it looks like the word ael. Ael means evil, but we're going to play back and forth. It could mean evil. But here, I think it means um like the yoke. It's a burden or devoted, right? It's a yoke. The reason that the sin itself is called a yoke. And that's what it means in a is lamentations 1 verse14 right that's number 30 the yoke of my transgression the word nisad is like um devotion right that's the yoke of my sin has marked his hand so we see that sin is called a yoke it says in in Perkyo chapter 3 Mishn 5 Allah of all Torah anyone that places on their shoulder so to speak the yoke of Torah galut is removed from him the yoke the burden of exile like we said before that when you remove from yourself the yoke of the sin that's coming because of the which we said was the older the older one the because that is what causes the person to sin and it removes from you the person all aspects of the character trait of of trust in God and it shows the person the crooked path. And what's the crooked path? Just acquiring things. You want to just keep acquiring things in this world because it convinces you that's the prime purpose of life to keep acquiring things things. and you know it's Black Friday and you go online and it's so easy they deliver to your door and it's cheap but just try to buy only the things you really need that you could use for mitzvah otherwise it's just a waste anyway. So he says, "And if you go in that direction where you're just acquiring things, what are you doing? You are basically it's causing you to be subjected subjected underneath the yoke of events that occur in time. You're now you're now prone. You're vulnerable." I think it also can mean it could mean not just the events that occur in time but to time itself you know because we talk about length of days and being like one foot in we're yud with the dollar we really have an eternal existence but you're somehow you're you're really you know entering this world like that's the theor That's why God put us into the desert that we should actually learn a proper character trait from this wild assimar like this wild donkey. Um, in other words, we have total trust. We we know we have what we need now. Everything that we need, we have right now. And we're getting rid of the yoke of the and the yoke of sin and the yoke of being uh well, the events that would occur at in time as well. But you, the Jewish people at times, right, you individuals, your your souls have this desire and they got all lit up. Is like a flame. You're chasing your desires. You know why? because you removed from yourself the yoke of Torah. And what did you do instead? You chase after what you saw with your eyes. Right? You um prostituted after your eyes. You you you were seduced after your eyes. Therefore, that's why you had these desires and that his desires are back to the idea where you are now um subjected to the events that happen in this world and they're going to come upon you. It says in Psalms 35:5, look at number 32, let them be as chaff before the wind. yet. Let them be as chaff before the wind. Get rid of them. Get rid of them. And also another verse. [clears throat] Where's the other one? Ah, it's also in Psalms 14. Not so the wicked, but they are like chaff that the wind drives away. also. Okay, remember it's always going back to that ru there's an exchange and you have to make that choice and that's why he says here that this is a hint there's going to be this constant struggle there's going to be a constant turmoil with the um with the winds of this world and that's what it means el gulut this we're in galut for 200 and years. But listen, the Jewish people for most of their most of our history has been in galut, right? We had maybe 8 800 years, we had let's just see this the first the we had the first temple was 400 plus and before that we had 400 that was 800 and then the second temple period another 400 plus. So you're talking about 1,200 years out of 3,300 years of history. most of the time has been galut. Um the and when Daniel said that I saw the four winds that from heaven that were stirring up the great sea that hints. This is the idea that these four directions are going to come. Allah Torah and anybody that uproots and takes off the yoke of Torah, he is going to be underneath subjected to those those negative exchanges of then for sure, right? Um he places upon himself the yoke of Torah. He is considered really truly free. And let me just sum up. We'll stop here, but I'll just sum up the next paragraph a little bit. And it's so interesting because it's he leaves from Beer Cheva, right? Why did we say he needed it needed to be tell us that he left from Beva? If you look in number 34 in McGillah 17a, it says before he left, he wanted to learn from Sheaman A what it meant to go into Galut. How is he going to survive? What character traits does he need to to survive in galut? He learned Torah. And that Torah that he learned is why it says he left from Beva because that's where the yeshiva of Sheaman was. Okay. So that's one idea. What about so the name Sheva? Also Sheva. Do you know that there's five books of Moses? We all know there's five books of Moses. But really what? There's seven books of Moses. How do we know there's seven books of Moses? Listen to this. When we went up from Egypt, it says we went up armed. The tells he went up one can also mean one. You all know give it'sam means armed ammunition. Listen to this. Rashi right there says what does it mean? They went up to armed clay. What's clay? Zion, another term for ammunition. What's Zion? Seven. They went up willing to take the seven books of the Torah. What are the seven books? In numbers. In numbers. There's these two inverted upside down nuns. And in between there's these verses, right? When uh when uh we go out to war, we bring the iron kesh with us. And when we come back it rests that there that's another book. So you have Genesis, Exodus, that's two books. Vikra, Leviticus is the third book. Within numbers, you have three books. They're called three distinct books. Before the nun, between the two nuns, and then after the second nun. So that's three yet that's already six. And then you have Deuteronomy. Seven books. So look in uh Proverbs 9:1 number 36. Wisdom has built her house. She has huned her seven pillars. What are the seven pillars? Look at Rashi. This refers to the books of the Torah in Numbers. Look it up. Chapter 10:35. You're going to see. And it came about when the ark would travel has these inverted upside down nuns. That is a seventh book. It's an individual book. So we have he went to be was in Beva. He left meaning he went to the yeshiva before he went to gullis. And what does it mean? He went to he became a free person. When he went to exile when the Jew is full of Torah and is forced down to exile, he will be protected. He will will be protected from these four winds. As we started by saying, God promised Yakov that even you're going to be strength. You're going to be strengthened. You're going to be strengthened in the north, east, south, and west. Wherever you go, I'm with you. Now it's time to come home. Now it's time to come home. Right. The gullis is what would we say it is? It's It's a ticking time bomb. It's almost over. It looks like all the signs are telling us it's over. Hopefully, we'll all read the signs, buy our tickets. You can go by boat. You can come by plane. You come by walking. I don't know. We're here. You know, we need you. We want you. Anyway, let's just say this is uh an interesting idea on this week's parha. Thank God for the kakar and I wish everyone a shabbat shalom and a gazuna winter. And I keep saying this, it should rain in the right place at the right time in the right amount. And you know what I mean. And have a good life. And we'll see you next week. [music] Heat. Heat. [singing] [music] [singing] >> [music] >> It's your [music and singing] shing.