Behind The Scenes With Rabbi Daniel Glatstein

Welcome back to Behind the Beimma. We are super excited to welcome you to our new studio and I can't think of a more hush of a guest to welcome to launch our new season from our new studio than our dear friend Ravan Gladstein. Thank you so much for being with us, making this part of your schedule on your visit. >> Thank you for having me. It's an honor to be here. >> Rabbatian, I I'm considered someone who's pretty busy and I'm proud of of what I do. Um, but I look at you and I see Torah any time almost 13,000 shurimarum Hebrew and English ar of Ashul leading tours of trips around the world and I say I I don't know how it's possible. I don't know how you're getting it all done. So really this is a conversation that's behind the beimma but really it's like an intervention for me. I want to learn from you. Did you study time management strategies and skills? Did you just pick them up? Do you have all kinds of hacks and shortcuts? How are you possibly getting that all done? >> I think you know uh our sages teach kalha poay pisel. I think uh takes one to no one. I I'm going to throw this one back at you. I mean I I I it is my first time here in BRS and it's not a shul it's not a center. It's it's like it's an empire of Tyra. So you tell me how this has been created. >> Okay. I I'll tell you my tips after but but how really how do you balance it all? Is it are are you rigidly planned and scheduled and prepared? Do you have you mastered the art of saying no? When do you say yes? When do you say no? What are some of the tips and tools that you've used to to get to this point? >> I'm very uh humbled that the answer is negative to all the above. I have to figure out how to say no. I have to learn a little time management. I wish I would make use of my time better. try to do as much as we can. >> Is it siata dishaya >> everyone needs? Yeah, >> everyone and everything. So, tell us a little bit more about um Rodanil Gladstein. There are 13,000 Shirum online. Um the Torah is accessible, available obviously. It's it's hidden deep. It resonates with people. That's why it's so popular. But tell us about yourself, your background, where you grew up. Did did you when you were a little boy picture I want to be teaching on Torah anytime. I want so many people clicking and watching and learning with me. I I doubt that at your bar mitzvah they they gave you that braha. So tell us about your background, your childhood and how you got from there to here. Okay, these questions are very difficult for me to answer. I'll tell you personally. People think, you know, I have a lot of sher online and maybe I'm out there a little bit and they think I'm a very public person. I'm naturally shy. I'm naturally uh I like to I like personal time. I like private time. I don't enjoy the attention. Let me tell you about my background and then maybe you'll get a little bit of an insight into uh where I come from. So I always start with my grandfather. My grandfather is Holoca was a Holocaust survivor. He passed away a few years ago at 106 years old. >> Wow. >> He was maybe one of the last talim of Raman Zmba. >> He was a Benias by Ramsemba. He had smika from pre-war gdylam names that are almost unknown today kahana. You could look in the sm and kahana is called ah auno the father of all >> the women who were of uncertain status after the holocaust. They didn't know what happened to their husbands. So he was the one who was mur auno. He was a fascinating personality. He was of Lithuanian descent and he was the chief rabbi of Warsaw which is a very complex situation. You know Warso is the seed of Gasidas. To bring in someone from Leita would not be a natural fit but he was such a go that he led and could I use these words? who's such a brilliant Torah scholar that he was able to be the leader of Pishidus Lamdus in Poland and he was also the rashiva of Takamoni which was something was somewhat of a university that coupled secular studies with with Hebrew studies. >> When did he pass away? >> About 50 years ago. >> Okay. >> He's buried in the Sanhedria Cemetery where >> So you didn't you didn't know him? I didn't know him personally, but you know, I I saw my grandfather. My grandfather took me back many, many generations. I saw a man who saw Imraz. I saw somebody who his grandfather was the RV in Lynchettz in the 1860s when the Malbam the Malbam was one of the greatest of all the Aken of the one of the uh later sages. The Malbam had one of the most rocky rabbitic careers of any rabbi in history. He literally went from one rabbitic post to the next. I don't know if he stayed in one place for too long. His life was in peril from his seabore from his kahila from reform. And at one point of time in the 1860s, he he sat in a schul in Lynchitz where my great greatgrandfather was the rabbi and he was friends with the Malbam. So my grandfather, I'm looking at him, he grew up hearing firsthand about the Malbam. You know the Malbum, the Brisker say there are three aim that have a status of Arishine. They say of course, >> the Vagin and the Malbum. So, you know, my grandfather brought me to a different world, a world that nobody h had any exposures, nobody knows anything about >> and you know, he he was a Gassid, but he didn't take that with him after [clears throat] the war. He was a rabbi in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for 70 years. He was a very compassionate and um kind-hearted and generous person. He was one of the most sensitive souls that anyone has ever met. He was a very big sadic. Uh he had tremendous inner gura. He had miraculous salvation from the holocaust. And my grandmother was the daughter of the last RV of Sakav. So he was a student of Hashem and uh the name of this RV was Rabhud Vulman. He was an upand cominging young Rav in uh Poland. He had association with um Rome Shapiro. He had a kusa shaft with big makubel named the sadic of Ranana and he was an upand cominging budding god of Israel. At one point of time he could have saved his life by coming to America where the agura was going to carve out a position for him chief rabbi of America >> and he gave up his life in the war. >> Now I noticed I noticed about that when you talk about yourself you're very shy and slow and hesitant and softspoken and when you talk about other people you light up and you know their biography but these other people clearly impacted your life too. You drew from them that is you. what you're describing about where you come from is also somewhat autobiographical too. Trying to take the best of those. >> I'm just trying to give you a little bit of a picture. So, you know, I grew up hearing about the RV of Sakchav and him giving he gave up his life a hashem because he says it's not right for him to leave his kahila. Um, I have a lot of other influences in my family background. one that I think is a particular interest in regarding rabbitics. Okay. My my mother's [clears throat] grandfather, okay, his name was Schlomma Zman. He came from a very different background. He came from a rabbitic family in Poland. I believe the Haskella started making inroads in the family. So he had older brothers that now when I say huska it doesn't necessarily mean leaving uh observance but a little bit of a different approach to to the outside world and he decided on his own he got in his head he's going to come to America maybe in the late 20s and early 30s I don't remember I'm not sure and when he came to America he had not chartered his course for his life he didn't know where he was headed on the boat people would tell him you know what do you have to fill in no you don't wear fill in and people were throwing the tone overboard. So he decided he was very stubborn and he said no you know you don't tell me what what I should do I'm going to wear my and he was self-educated he taught himself to learn mishim so he didn't know any he didn't know you know these these you know are not meant to be kept these are meant he didn't believe in cultural Judaism he believed in doing what what you're supposed to do so he came across a halaka that you're now to speak by daving and if you speak by ding so he doesn't know any so in the 1930s in America when it was literally unheard of the concept of not talking by dabing he went around telling people straight >> right >> either stop or leave >> right >> and many ramim if not most didn't like that so he wasn't able to stay there and finally He went to a Rafael David maybe you heard of the name Rafil David and uh Rafel David said you know you're right you know I have nothing to say about that so he started a revolution in flatbush of kavatila and until today in that shul you literally could hear a pin drop by the dam >> so I'm growing up you know I know zadei almond you know uh he was moistern nephesh to create this revolution which was not popular but made very strong inroads at least in the in the neighborhood that I grew up in. So these are some of the >> the influences >> the influences and if I could add my father my father is a trial attorney so he was not in the rabinet you know he said his father was in the ravenet his son is in the rabinet but he's an extremely talented speaker he's a world-class speaker and one timera came to our schul long story short my father became a volunteer uh lecturer for forhat discovery. So he when growing up he spoke in all the college campuses in America doing um the discovery program. So I saw grew grew up seeing firsthand the power of Tory to transform people you know in a in a in a very dramatic way. >> So I want to pick up on that because you self-describe yourself as a humble person. Um and yet at some point it must have clicked in your mind. >> No I don't describe myself that >> humble. Sorry shy. You are humble person that comes across very clearly. At what point though that clicked and you said to yourself despite my shyness, despite obviously a really um humility you said my mission there's a purpose I have to be Marbit's Torah. So many other people make the opposite decision. They say who am I? Okay so I have this lineage. I'll learn in the base medish but it's easier for me to sit in a corner. I don't want to get involved politics community. Who am I to get up and give Shirum and record them? And what allowed that to click in your mind? What allowed you to make that change that says I have an aas. In other words, I have a misra. I have an ability. I have a gift from Hashem and therefore I have to use it to be marit for kalis. How did you break through a barrier that so many other people are not able to break through? Okay. I don't think it it's my lineage that I said you know my uh grandfather's grandfather knew the malbum therefore I have responsibility. No, it's an inner calling. It's, you know, it's something in my soul says this is my calling in life. This is my mission in life. And through that, I discovered ability that maybe I didn't even know or realize that I had. So, [snorts] where did that start? Walk us through. Did you give the vorra when you were 10 years old and you realized I can do this? When when did you realize that I have some talent or skill? >> It took many years. When I was maybe 20 years old, I had an opportunity to give a share on Shabu night. I literally prepared for that share for, you know, six weeks to give an hour share. And it was it was grueling because to get up in front of a seabore and to deliver was not is not my nature. I did a one year I did a two years I did a three years slowly slowly you know it became a little bit more natural to me and then after I uh finished Kyle I was dabing in a shul and I saw this sh didn't have a rabbi and after dvening people would just file out people would file out. So I suggest you know before people file out somebody should say so you know the board voted and after much deliberation they came back that the v the board voted 9 to8 that this is a good no you know that it's a good idea and they but but you need to do it I said no you know I wasn't I wasn't suggesting myself they said no it's a good idea try it out so I used to prepare maybe 3 hours for a two-minute vatara you know to really pack it in to make it interesting to and Then I did it daily and then it became very natural and people enjoyed it and from there I was recommended to give Shirum the youngest of Karn Hills and in other places and then uh a Rabonus opened up right near my Shiva and that's where I started and then uh but still but still I'll tell you where it really picked up when um you know when the technology developed that you could put a share online Somebody once suggested to me and I started in a shul in Queens. The name of the shul is Tus. It was an big old pulpit synagogue, you know, it was the first shul in Queens and it was a little bit on the outskirts. So the neighborhood was like a dying shul and it was a starter job. Okay. So I was right out of Kyle and it was a very good opportunity. You know in New York for every available job there there are thousand applicants, right? So I fell into this job and I was giving a weekly share and somebody suggested you know why don't you record the share? Said record the share. I said what am I going to do with it? So he said you're going to post it. I said where am I going to post it? He said online. >> What's online? >> I said I said online? You know I had never been on a computer in my entire life. I had not been on a computer and I was I was 30 years old. I had not been on a computer. I even took computers in high school, but all we needed to do is memorize like a hundred questions and answers. So, I did it. There were like there were eight computers and there were 10 kids in the class, so I didn't have one, right? >> I had not been on one. >> And he said, "No, this this is where it's at. You know, you're going to post this year and maybe 200 people could watch it." I said, "20 people?" So, he said, "Give it a try. I'll come. I'll record it. I'll post it. We'll see what what happens." And I remember uh started posting the Shirm and after I don't know a year or two I was told that one week a few hundred people watch the share. I said a few how's that possible? Well, there are a few who's watching the share and then I said why don't I post other sharim you know why just the once a week share and the more I posted and the feedback I got and I realized you know maybe there's something over here maybe there's something to it and the the feedback and the response really you know fired me up that you know this is this this is compelling you know people enjoy this this is something that can make an impact I just pick up on one point you said cuz I don't want to let it pass. Yeah. You said that when you gave the two hour two-minute shar Yeah. >> you prepared for hours and hours. I think that's something this is kind of addressed to both of you because both of you are >> internet personalities. You you know Torah, but you you're out there on the internet and I think the assumption most people have is that you get you give a shar and you move on. I don't think most people understand the amount of preparation and work that goes into every shear that's given and I didn't want to let that moment pass without first of all reflecting upon it and digging a little bit deeper. Um, do you still do that? Are you still preparing so much for every year? Is is it the pride that you take in this year? The hus drives you to to do that? >> I don't have the luxury to do that anymore. I don't have the time to do that anymore. I wish I could because I think that people people on people recognize that if you put time into something, people appreciate it. People appreciate that you value their time and that people know when you're you've said the idea and now you're just dancing around it and saying it from a different perspective just to because there are 10 minutes left. You know, people want to know 8 minutes is 8 minutes, 10 minutes is 10 minutes, an hour is an hour. that if they're coming to an hour shear, they realize they could also learn on their own for for an hour, but this hour shear, it's like they're learning for 10 hours because they know you put 10 hours into it. Now, I don't have the luxury to to do that for every year or to continue to do that today. What I once was able to do uh when I started, but preparation is key. Preparation makes a very big difference. >> Are you mak are you very punctual, meaning if it's an hour, you end after an hour? Or do you say, "But I still have three more points to make and we're in my notes. I really want to get it across. It really wraps this up. >> I'm not punctual. >> You're not punctual. [laughter] >> No. And once you're on the roll, you're on the roll. >> I'm on it. Yeah. >> But but but the preparation is Yeah. that the content is, >> you know, it depends. Let's say, you know, shabas, shabasha, then I would like I like to keep it to the time. Yeah. >> But >> me too. [laughter] Not exactly. Yeah. I'm actually punctual the whole year except but you know, different styles. Different styles. >> Um, you mentioned your yeshiva learning. >> So you learn. >> Yeah. Um and clearly you're a product in in many ways. I think um sort of the muser that uh maybe maybe not classic muser, maybe you're not even comfortable calling yourself a bow muser, but that makov, that depth, that character improvement, that emphasis on personal growth, how relatable what you speak about is obviously resonates and that's probably where it comes from. Um would you describe yourself today as as a member of the community? >> That is such a good question. Well, I I'll tell you I'll tell you why I ask and I don't want it to be controversial. >> No, it's not controversial and I want to speak about that and our community is very strong and and I'm super grateful our our institutions local yeshivas some of the local rabanim and it's it's magnificent. These are colleagues, these are brothers, these are dear friends, these are people we look up to and we admire. One of the things that I've always not only admired but even been a little bit envious of from my yeshiva and our background is that knows exactly who our rashiva was is what we stand for what their hope and expectation is of us what our misor what is our everything in a neat box and in many ways I don't say this to them it maybe connects or parallels other movements within the from world where people marry members of their same community and follow through and have this sense of mission of what they go out and do um and and without criticism of where I come from. But our yeshiva who shar will determine what your misora what your minafa where you let the manora in the dorm everything mamish is like many yeshivas within one and I' I've admired that even to the point of being envious of it. So that that power is very strong and palpable here in our community that usually if someone went to you know that they bleed that they wear it on their arm. It's who they marry where they send their children and what that is. That that's the background to my question. >> Okay. That question I'm excited to to answer. >> I was nervous to answer. >> No, no, no, no. I understand it could be very controversial, but I don't think it will be. Okay. And I'm gonna I'm gonna tell you straight. I'm going to be very transparent about this. >> Many people listen to my shim are shocked that I went to and many people when they find that I went to they say, "Uh, now we understand." They're shocked, but yet they understand at the same time. So, so let me explain. I'm a very uh proud alumni of yeshiva. I learned there for many years. I went to high school in Brooklyn. I was in Israel for a short stint. I was in the quote unquote mothership for more years than anyone you know. And at the same time I'm an extremely atypical alumni from a because of my family background because my grandfather knew Zamba the system hadn't even been conceived yet you know so I feel I have a rich masira with or without yeshiva number two I have many uh personal influences outside of the yeshiva that I personally pursue sued while in allowed me to maybe they had maybe they're trying to wrap their mind around it exactly but I'm very close with Rashiva uh I think was one of the gyle marit of our generation what he accomplished for jewelry in the United States of America David Harris you will not find someone who is genuinely Alra I mean just sweating to understand Gamarra Rashi Tyus like Rodavid Harris someone who has been working on his midas for decades and decades but at the same time for me personally I also needed other uh other role models and other to look up to outside of the Shiva system. maybe because of my background or because of my personality. So I like to think that my foundation is from the yeshiva but I also have a lot of other influences and other maybe um other parts of the building other floors of the building besides the foundation on the first floor for example. So when I when I started as a bakar I used to sneak out of the yeshiva. >> Yeah. But this is not going to be too exciting though. [laughter] I used to go to >> behind the bea moment. >> Yeah. Yeah. It's not as exciting as you think. I used to go to Ra Victor Miller. That was where it started. >> That was a rebellious. >> That was rebellious streak because you know Miller learned he learned in Slabka. See here it is in they're telling me what Ravid said happened in Sabat. So I said let me let me see what happened in Sabat. So I used to go to Riller. I went there for three years on Shabas. I used to walk from M and 31st to Essen Ocean Parkway next to the Marish Shiva and I used to go to his hashkafir. I used to ask him I have a notebook of questions I asked him did they do this in Sabatka? Do they do that in Sabatka? So I always like to say I used to ask him because he was ready to exercise. He used to walk in his heyday an hour and a half a day. So I I would ask you know should Bakar do exercise? Yes, he should walk for 30 minutes a day. I said do they do they do exercise in Slabadka? Yeah, they walked to a far away dining room. But but but to me it was, you know, it was interesting. Let me hear from someone who was in Slabka, you know, how things went. Then a very big influence was after Miller passed away and I was in Kyle, I stumbled across. So to me, you know, what appealed to me was not the Casidus because people have different versions of what Cassidus is. My grandfather grew up in Warso. He knows what Cassidas is. You know, he grew up knowing blood of Gumar B and and Lik Maran, >> right? >> But he had an uncle in Warso who is like an emista breast. So what what appealed to me about is um he would say overam and he would say it over and bring alive different parts of the in a way that I had never been exposed to. So I got very drawn to of many that were not typically exposed to. So now I got very intoarim, you know, I want to learn all thearum of all the different and rabbam would speak about their history and their background. And he would have a tish, but his tish wasn't, you know, singing. There was a little bit of singing, but that wasn't the main thing. His tish was he would take a godal and analyze their history and their background and the times they lived in and how it affected the swarm that they wrote. Now this really appealed to me because >> you know I I think we spend so much time learning you know you learn Rashi you learn tis a typical yeshiva bak forget about a typical yeshiva bakar a typical rabbi in America doesn't know who Rashi is doesn't know who Tyus is and they could have learned for many many years people don't know the era that Tyus lived in people don't realize it happened during the times of the crusades Was Tyus in jeopardy in the during the crusades? Was his life in danger? What were the conditions that he wrote under? Who is rautam? You know everybody thinks the Rambam the Rambam the Rambam was the greatest of all the no that's what believe Ashkanazm don't accept that it's it's brought in many that we hold Rabinu Tam was the greatest of all the rishim but really he was what was so great about him it was his approach to the Tamud Rabinotam was a very wealthy man Rabinotam owned real estate he had vineyards and [clears throat] you see Rabinotam throughout A chassi has a certain attitude toward saving Jewish people money you know and each rishine has a unique history and a unique background and each ain has a unique history and unique background so this it's not history it's toyra it's learning >> and here was somebody who made you feel it's not toyra to know that or study that or appreciate that in >> absolutely yeah right not only is it not bal tora it's almost maybe I'll talk about by the on but it's it's balyra the other right? You're you're lacking in your appreciation, understanding for if you don't understand who these people were. You know, the I became um fascinated with the life of the life really resonates with me and I just read the other day, maybe yesterday, the wrote his first book at 16 years old. It's called Hale 100 and he never published it. 50 mistakes that Akim made because they weren't familiar with the background and the history of a particular god. >> Wow. >> But he never published it. >> Now, was this all selftaught or or did you have places that you would look for this information? Did you just take out books and start reading about people or were there online personalities? >> I'm not a great expert. I'm not, you know, but Rabbi, you know, this opened up my eyes to appreciate this mikai, this area of Torah knowledge, I I would sometimes go to the classes of Schneer Lyman, he was uh >> he was uh someone in our neighborhood. Um and this interested me a lot. And I think when when a RV when a rabbi gives a shar and he brings in a Torah personality, let teach the people who this personality was so that they have a greater appreciation for their Torah. If it's okay, I I'll probably repeat it later. But you know, very often people say, "Oh, I heard this." Okay, who said it? I don't remember. You don't remember? So then what are you telling me exactly? You're just saying an idea. I would like to know where this comes from. cipher. Where do you get theam cipher from? You saw in a para sheet or do you know which safer cipher it is? Is it inhos? Is itamra? You know they were written at different times wrote certain things when he was younger when he was older. This is all this is all part of it. A certain element of scholarship of fullness of scholarship that I think is a is enhances the the learning >> and that's connected to the Torah itself because the person is we don't disconnect the the information from the person. And you're saying so how could you know the information if you don't know the person the person who authored. Now it's interesting and I don't I don't want to make this about your yeshiva you know of course which I say I'll flesh that out but >> but are are you >> I don't want to make it about them. I know that they're incredibly proud of you but are you a success story of theirs? Meaning somebody whoseka ends up being I I'm very much connected this relate to this. I wrote an article about what I call the right the 13th gate to the bas if you didn't know the sh that you came from and the and this idea of the people who say I don't necessarily feel comfortable don't lock me in a box I'm not only in one place there's a width and a breath and a beauty to Torah and I want to connect to it I gave a talk in [clears throat] in England a couple years ago and someone wrote me a beautiful email that one of the Rabanu was there who came from yeshiva that also made him feel you know less than if he needed more if he was curious if he looked at he had he had a home address of his ashkafa but also a passport to be able travel and explore and see and and after that it opened up his eyes and it changed his life and he started learning and he he he became so but I get some push back for having that that opinion that that's who I am too and people are surprised sometimes let's say where I went to yeshiva given the breath of of what I like to quote and share what what speaks and resonates to me in the shar that I give so have you received push back for that people say you know if if everyone's your then you have no Ashkafa or why are you exploring you're looking everywhere who are you know what are you in the end. >> I'm going to clarify. I'm going to continue to clarify because yes, I enjoy the I enjoy the I love I love many many different and different influences. But at the same time, I will sometimes hear speakers or and there they say, you know, you could say this, the says this and says this, and let's put it in the pot and mix it up together. No, you don't know what you're doing. Why you know, cuz you're not grounded. You need to be firmly based with a foundation and a solid foundation. I would say that it has great value to to have intellectual curiosity to try to uh be familiar with different disciplines, different branches of knowledge. But that can't be your starting point. That can't be your foundation because then then then your your stability is in question. I think what I like about the yeshiva, you know, you mentioned I went to is that I feel the the foundation is rock solid. The foundation is applying yourself to understand the tamudic process in a in an intellectually honest way. We're not trying to, you know, say just for the sake of saying to really genuinely understand process and complement it with knowledge of and I know it's popular today today muser orus I likeus but I personally think is good but you have to have muser because think about it you have a choice I could study my own psyche you know, am I jealous? Am I arrogant? Am I wrong my C? Or I could start thinking about the various am. Now, it's definitely more convenient and comfortable to think about the angels in heaven than to think about my own deficiencies. And it's definitely more glamorous to think about that. And it might excite the people more when I talk about and then if I talk about, you know, kina and tya and ga. But who's going to have who's going to be more of a grounded and firmly based Jew? Someone who spent years and years thinking about um you know the extra pious practices or cabalistic mysticism which I love. I'll be the first to admit that. Or somebody who spent many many years and decades working on their own character. So I think yeshiva is a a very special uh yeshiva in terms of >> teaching young Jewish people the foundations of of Torah Judaism >> to be clear it could be any yeshiva it wasn't about I'm speaking only because that's what but any yes yeshiva that's your foundation their point is that at 17 181 19 you can't be I'm everywhere because then you're nowhere you need a foundation you need a home address then you could if you don't have and I'm now now I'm going to take the liberty you said I'm very modest now I'm going to be not modest okay I'm not going to be not humble I think to a large degree the appeal of the shirim >> is that because I have the foundation of this yeshiva that I went to and now I feel I apply that to the and while if people in general hear or other sources they're trying to wrap their mind around that it's not presented to them in a way that they feel it's based or grounded. But I think if you're grounded in the Tamudic process and alic process and you could show how these ideas emerge from authentic Judaism then then people are really then that really resonates with people. >> In other words, the same critical analysis of Arashi and then I'm not moving on to like I'm not just dropping because I saw a quoted somewhere. I'm saying I'm whatever I'm saying I understand. I'm holding in to some extent. >> Now when you talk about being grounded, is there a limud to you that is koteshakadashim? In other words, with all your teaching, with all your preparing, is there a time during the day that you say, "This is an hour that I'm taking for myself for my own personal growth. It's not about what I'm going to give to others. It's about what I'm giving to myself." And what would that Lima be? >> What What would it be or what should it be? [laughter] >> I I'll let you answer. Yeah, there are a lot of things that uh I would like to be doing uh for my own personal growth. I like to learn with Rashi. I find that by learning with Rashi, I always like glean like my new insights from my my one of my favorite pastimes is gleaning original insight from simple rashi. So >> So that that's what you carve out at the time. What do you get more of a gishmak from um speaking or writing? How many since we're already on not humble, how many >> are there currently? Is it like children? Are you allowed to say the number? >> There there English Hebrew >> a number in there are a number of them in English. >> And can you >> what do I get more? >> So do you get when when if you look at your schedule say what am I doing tomorrow? If tomorrow is speaking day, tomorrow's a writing day, tomorrow's a learning day, which is the one that energizes you more. >> Writing does not energize me because most of the writing process is tedious and grueling because I already know the idea. I g I said it. I gave it over, you know, I I often I created it. I gave it in a shear. I said it. Now it's a matter of crystallizing it in print. So it but it ha but I feel like it has to be done because if I don't do it I'm not preserving it. So does it do I get a out of writing when I sat down and I wrote the idea originally you know that gives me a or if I read it over a year or two later I say it's a good thing I wrote it otherwise I probably would have forgot it that gives meas but the actual writing is is very is hard work >> brother you'd rather do the speaking that energizes that excites me >> it's easier >> is all did all the writing begin a shirum and then you organized and took Shirum and turned them converted them into is that is that generally the the path of the writing? >> Most much of the written material came from the Shir. But the the consideration of what I choose to write is, you know, did I create the material? In other words, if I just saw this, I saw that and I gave it over in an interesting way, I don't feel like it's a contribution. But if let's say I I put together I strang together a few different maramaky and by stringing it together I created I feel I created a tapestry >> that that and that tapestry presents like a new perspective on a subject there's a >> yeah but it has to be yeah it has to be it has to be original >> whatever the threshold original is that's >> so not everything that you say do you write that's that's the threshold for what you write but most of the writing originated as a as a sheer was something that came together. >> Yeah. Now you've obviously traveled extensively, opened up Mishbaka magazine, Five Towns, Jewish Times. >> Yeah, it's the same trip every week. It's not [laughter] >> um what do you what do you [snorts] find most enjoyable about those trips? And what trip has been the most impactful for you in terms of your own personal aotem understanding of of Judaism? The most enjoyable part of a trip is preparing for it. If you don't prepare, it's not enjoyable for me. What's enjoy? You know, I don't sitting on the bus seeing, you know, it's not like we're it's graves, you know. Now, people ask, you know, why do you go to the grave? Do you feel you're going there? Because you need to get your feelas answered. No, that's not that might be a valid reason to go. And you know I believe that it has value to dominate sadikim. That's not the real reason I'm going. I'm spending my life dedicated to studying the texts written by these Israel. I feel that by learning about their life and and understanding the times they lived in then their Tyra to me is taken to a new level. So I need to go there and but going there is is the motivation to prepare and to learn about them. So the the enjoyment of the trip is commensurate with the preparation. >> So where are some of the places that you've been and where do you still yet hope to go? >> Meaning do you have this desire and craving to travel the world and and travel to these? >> No, I don't have or is that there's tour operators they take there's people who want to learn it's an excuse for you to prepare and teach. So it's like another venue to transmit. For the most part, for the most part, this past uh trip excluded, I'm going to tell the trip uh organizer, listen, I want to go here. I want to go there. So, let's make a trip around these areas. So, for the most part, uh usually that's how it works. The most impactful trip was going to France when we went to the the grave site of Rashi and then in Ramarupt Rabinotam the Rashbam the ream because you grow up your whole life learning about the balia but until until you actually uh spend time learning about their life you realize you know you don't know you don't know the first thing about them >> you know you know that each maka had a different editor a different baltois who was the editor and could you ask a contra iction between Tyus in one place and another place. Not necessarily. >> So regatin, you didn't go to university, you didn't go to graduate school, you're not somebody who's had to research papers and and draw conclusions and look up index cards and do a decimal system. So when you go on these trips and you learn this background, how do you do this research? How are you doing that prepared? The fascination that you have and you only went on a computer for the first time at 30 years old. So where where is this research coming from? How do you even know how to do it? Okay. So, uh I think that in today's day and age, a very important element of the Rabbonus and that I think both of you are have been very successful at is that you need to bring a sense of professionalism to the Rabanas. You know, you have people who are doctors, who are lawyers, who are um academics and they've spent many many years not just studying but studying in a professional way. So, why should Torah be treated any less? And I think for all shirim and for all topics you need to bring a sense of professionalism which means researching and exploring the topic in every and any possible way that will enhance the understanding of the topic. So you know when it comes to the trips um you have to go out and buy books and buy sarum about uh about the subjects and personalities you're going to visit and you have to do your due diligence. You have to put in the time and you have to collect the information and and uh condense it and be able to pick out the things of uh that are meaningful and that will resonate with people. >> That's actually I find sometimes even more of the work. Meaning when you research a subject now you have 20 hours that you want to say but you only have an hour for that particular thing. So how do you it's it's the discipline to not to hold back to yourself within it sometimes harder than the actual research. >> Yeah, it is. Are there go-to people that you turn to? You say, "I'm going to this place. Could you tell me what are the go-to books? What do I download? Who are the experts in in Jewish history?" Schne mentioned is it did do you ever turn to him and say, >> you know, Rabbi Obam gave me let's say a mahalak, you know, so let's say I would see he would talk about a certain personality. So where did he glean his information? So you have the safer of you have other there's a safer malit that gives brief biographical information of all the you have the now that a listing of all the art sites of all the whoever lived you have a set of called that's out of print from that has biographical information. You have Rabbi Wine's uh books. I made it my business to make a relationship with Rabbi Wine over the last couple of years who was a tremendous resource surprising not just of history but of common sense in general about the Rabonos. >> Yeah. So, you know, I appreciated. >> Now, for our listeners, notice that Ray Glassine did not list Wikipedia on his [laughter] >> Yeah, I do use it, but I didn't I didn't mention >> No, no, no. But, but you're going right to the primary sources, which is also part of the foundation that you had from Yeshiva. Yeah, like primary sources not trusting or relying only on >> No, I'll tell you a funny story recently. Okay, so one of the that published recently was translation annotation of the CPU okay >> in our office. >> So that's a safer everybody's heard of and I grew up hearing about it. So I had I had this to put it out for arts girl but before putting it out I said you know what I'm I'm putting out a cafer I need to write something about the history of tisua so I started doing research when did write this what were the conditions that he wrote it I searched and I searched there is no when did it's in the back of appendage to like 19 other countries and when did he write it And so I'm researching on on uh it says that son-in-law published it for the first time in the 1920s and and he writes on the title page published for the first time for Claw in 1929. Why published and then he says because couldn't publish in his lifetime because of censorship >> and he first published it in a newspaper called Hapelis. So it says censorship. I started researching the sens censorship of the kabim's works and how he had to encounter the early mascul and the masculum gave him a lot gave him heartache about different things in sav that he had to publish. So I'm searching now the a newspaper is called hapelles. It's not in there. So I contacted um the national library of Israel. Now I don't know if a typical yeshiva bakar would [laughter] would know to do that but I contacted them and the librarian came he said it's not hapelis but they discovered that the the editor of hapelles was somebody named uh Rabbi Rabininoitz who was a rabbi in Paliva. Hapelis went out of business and then for five years he published a magazine, a newspaper called Hamodia for five years which obviously is a predecessor of the current Hamodia and as a supplement in Hamodia the stuck in like you know um >> like Indian magazine. >> Yeah, Indian magazine. Yeah. And you know Yat has uh these magazines. He's stuck in this magazine uh TPishua. >> Yeah. So you know I got to the bottom of it >> but >> and that's the whole introduction to >> that's the introduction to Yeshua but I'm very proud that I put that into I think it adds to the safer and then an understanding you know what was the issue with Yeshua that the sensors had a problem with it and clearly the concept of Jewish uh redemption bothered the the secular Jewish sensors because one time when was uh was brought to be edited to be censored. The the the sensor was the son-in-law of the father of the mascul I think his name was Joshua Steinberg. Steinberg was looking at this and he saw wrote and Steinberg said how could you say laavd there's no difference you know universal mankind and so you can imagine if the word laavd was a problem to Steinberg then certainly the concept of Jewish redemption would be a a problem but that's that's fascinating that the could not publish the safer cua in his time >> how do you write do Do you dedicate time every day, every week? Do you have certain goals? How many words? How many pages? No. Is it when you're early in the morning, late at night? >> I'm hoping that in these conversations, one day someone will break through and I'll actually write. I have a lot of books written, but they're just all in my head. >> Tab. >> Yeah. As of now. Um, sometimes I I say, "Okay, I have to get this out." And then I, so to speak, closet myself up for some time. and and just spend time. >> He'll cancel Shurum and other things. >> I will cancel Shurim, but >> you won't be available for meetings, phone call. I got to bang this out. I've got to knock this out >> to some extent. I'll I'll make myself I'll really focus on it. >> But otherwise, it's just steal a few minutes here and a few minutes there and it's not laptop. >> Yeah, but it's really >> Does give you deadlines? Are there deadlines that? >> It's all self-imposed. >> It's all self-imposed. There's no deadlines. I speak there's a lot of words. Get him to give you some deadlines. That's good. That's good. How often are you traveling uh for Shabases like this one >> for Shabas? A couple times a year. Oh, >> not often. >> Not often. >> Five times a year. >> Okay. Well, Florida hopefully now in November. It's gorgeous. The children are here. Some children are here. So, >> it's a good excuse. A good excuse to come. Where where's a place you haven't been yet that you still want to go? I don't mean on the speaking tour, but I mean the travels and >> let's say of Jewish historical interest. >> Well, we were going to do a trip uh but then October 7th happened. So that would have been epic. We're going to go to Petra cover of Aronaken. >> So that that was one interesting spot. And also there's Nal Arine where the Jewish people crossed into Israel and you can make a bra there. M >> but that's not a typical place that I that's really ancient Jewish history. >> Yeah. >> And Egypt [clears throat] you have the cover of uh the Aira of Rabaka. But uh one day >> one day >> maybe Syria now will become available. >> Yeah. The world is changing every day. It's unbelievable what we find. Your and and your books and your lectures are almost kokulo tora. And what I mean by that, and I can't I don't want to suggest that I'm an expert in them, is it's not commenting on contemporary issues or weighing in on controversies or taking a stand on whatever Jewish people have determined is the crisis. Is that intention by design? Meaning, do you think that part of why you resonate and why you have a broad audience is that you just keep it focused on Torah and you're not distracted and don't want to distract others by saying now I'm going to come out with a strong statement on the the Shak crisis or the this crisis or yeshiva thing or the new mayor of New York or I'm not weighing in on this Israel the army like [clears throat] it it's it's Torah. It's Torah. It's character. It's >> it's Are you tempted to ever comment or insert yourself and you have to hold back from it? you know maybe maybe in the sarum uh you'll notice that for the most part I'm not cont I'm not commenting on contemporary issues that's in the Hebrew swarm in the English sarum I have touched on them and in the book the darkness and the dawn there's certain things that I wrote about Israel from various opinions that somebody once commented to somebody who gave an appribation like you know this is and I was able to back it up because it sourced. But I do comment on contemporary issues in the Shirim and and they do go pretty and many of them are public, >> right? >> Be it sometimes politics, sometimes art is, sometimes but >> and is that always premeditated? You you mean to comment on that or it just happens in the natural flow? I I mean to comment on it but I will sometimes take a position a very interesting position where I will say what I feel but there are certain things this is how I feel about a certain issue but if there is a enough if people are not happy with it then I can re-evaluate and say look this is not one of my core principles So what do I need to aggravate people now? They're not going to listen to my garum. They're not going to listen to my mishum. They're not going to is it really worth it? So in other words, let's say for example, one of my core principles is um decoring. That's not negotiable for me. I will I've I've lost jobs. I've lost a job for that. Yeah. >> But I will not bend. I will not budge. I feel that it's responsibility of the leadership of ashul to ensure decor by dabing talking and use of devices but so that's something I'll stick my neck at I you know I'll I'll say it and if you don't like it jump in a lake but let's say other things if I once gave um the history of early I gave and everything I said came from legitimate sources I And I this was not theory what I was saying. Okay. And you know somebody I got pushed back about it said you know what do I need that for? What do I need it for? I got to marry for my kids. I got to you know it's not my one of my core principles. >> Did you take the shear down? >> I took it down. >> You took it down. What do I need out there? >> What do I need? Yeah. >> How many have you taken down over the years? >> I don't know. >> Does it happen frequently? >> No. >> No it doesn't happen frequent. But you know, I think if it's not your core principle, then you know, you're doing yourself an >> which hills to die on, right? Choosing the hills to die. I want to follow up on the decorum, and I know we're we're winding down because time is valuable and Chabas is coming. Um, >> I agree. We agree obviously both in our own personal conduct and the way that we're trying to to grow and build our shul. But what do you say to the people who say, "Look, it's a different generation. It's a different time. And if somebody who struggles, who doesn't have the attention, the discipline to be able to make it through, who every now and then and and and finds the parts in davening where it's not as egregious, meaning because there are people who are like from the beginning to the end in a biscuit, you can never talk. And others who know a little bit, no, you can't talk between this and this, but here like and a little bit I need to I can't take a tin as deep or that long. It's it's a form of torture. And if you're going to crack down and you're going to create such a focus on decorum, I'm I'm going to be turned off. I'm going to stay home. I'm not going to dive in. Meaning where we put the bar is complicated and and in our own shu which has 8 million on mach this morning you know there's one million in particular where they make very concerted announcement and they put down their foot and it's in that's not tolerated and you'll be called out if you do talk you'll be asked to go outside and have your conversation if there >> yeah and and in other places meaning we give a dasha and there on our way out somebody says like and like we're all getting and that's okay because that's the standard that's the sort of agreed on and other minion there's more flexibility because it's understood that's a minion where might come a little bit later, might talk a little bit more and you know a person who's still finding their way. So if there is this emphasis or focus um is there a concern we add minion on them all the time and people approached us about a minion for a particular demographic group who wanted a minion let's say they'd be a weekday minion that'd be under 20 minutes you you absolutely fly everything is super quick everything is super and we put our foot down and we said even though we have the daily pluggman now complicated but people are looking for it we have that complicated we allow it but a minion that categorically goes against what we think is is dignified fela. We we can't host and even if it means that those people won't do with a minion because they need it to be 18 minutes. It's got to be a matzah minion. Maybe they could find it somewhere else. If not, they won't find it with us. >> But when it comes to the quorum, is there that concern that the overemphasis and the the absolute intolerance for a person anywhere any time could leave people just not coming to shul because I they also crave a social component to and they're looking something different not only the doining or not connected to the doining. Where where do you where do you find that balance? >> So I'm I don't have a balance with that. I'll tell you I'll tell you straight up. You know I know people have a social need and I don't think that Davening is a time to fulfill that social need. Are there times in Davening where there are certain loopholes or leniencies well once you start Shar until after no you're you know between you're allowed to talk but you can't >> right >> there. There are no other exceptions. So are you allowed to talk Bengavra legra says no says yes. >> So I could understand you know you're not going to crack down Bengava legra. But I think if somebody says look rabbi I have a need to to have a social outlet or I cannot remain silent for two and a half hours two hours straight. I think you could have a candid discussion. Say look you know this is our opportunity. We come to sh to recognize the creator of the world. I understand you personally have a hard time remaining silent throughout. So take a break. Take a break in the sanctuary is not is not a place for socialization. >> Now do you have that luxury because of where you are? In other words, a show that has so much diversity and so many different types of people coming into a room is a little bit different than when you're in a sh where okay, if you don't like this, you can go next door, you can go down the block, there are like 40 other shs for you. My sh has a standard and you're okay setting that standard and if you don't like it if you live out of town you were the only you're a community shaw where your whole mission is to bring people in and to be macar people and if they're not coming here they're they're not going anywhere else. So does that change the conversation a little bit >> meaning that meaning the guy who's on the journey towards Yiddish kite or who was on the journey away from Yiddish kite. So Dominic starts at 9:00 he comes in at 10. Few people near him give mashikum before he opens up a sitter. But if everyone's going to give a shah and go ah and you can't and how could you forget it I'm not coming. He's not going to the show next door. He's just going to check out. >> We're not here to defend talking. I just understand your conversation. I think they're two different demographics. If you have a Kirsh of somebody who's not educated in Torah, so then I think those people are 100% receptive to the importance of proper decorum by daving. I've never encountered any I think it's the opposite demographic which I have, you know, I'm in New York so I know exactly this demographic. I don't you know I know I know this demographic better than anybody. Okay. I grew up I went to Flatbush Brooklyn Yeshivas where you you either go to the five towns or you go to Lakewood. Okay. And I'm I'm a rabbi in the five towns which means that this is the exact demographic that we're dealing with. We're talking about people who learned in yeshivas and then for whatever reason call it chip on the shoulder or something like that. They're trying to figure out their way back. I personally am not familiar with the approach of I haven't seen that ultimately by bringing them back in and allowing the kdosh and the talking that they'll ultimately come back to, you know, call um genuine observance. I haven't seen it. You know, maybe there are people who specialize in that in that type of rabanus and they have the exact formula. I'm not familiar with it. I don't know it. I just my my approach is that you know these are the house rules. I'm in a place where on every single corner there's a shaw. You want to come to my sh? This is uh >> right and that's fair. That works there and I would want to go to your sh. I want to go to your sh. But it's an interesting complex question that that people have to grapple with. Rabbi Glatian, thank you for being here. We're so excited you made time for this among all of the Shurum and all that you're doing and may may not be your comfort zone as a shy person. >> Um, and we didn't let you prepare because we didn't really give questions in advance, but that's when that's when you're best without the preparation at least for these topics. So thank you for making the time inspiring inspir and continuing to elevate this as a center not only for for Florida but really for all of >> Amen. Amen. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you for listening to Behind the Beimma. If you enjoyed the show, please subscribe, rate, [music] and review on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. We'll see you next week for another peak behind the beimma. [music]