Ep. 34: Every Yid is an Influencer with Rabbi Levi New

My relationship with you this is a pinness. So I got to compromise on that so I can be a and and and reach out to somebody else. No you are because it's your job to do take responsibility for judish right now. Your responsibility is then go now your responsibility is to fix that. Go fix it. So the same way the previous of the previous generations but the previous generation you're fixing it because I got to get closer to the only way to get closer to the is if I fix this problem that I have and now I'm fixing it because that's my I'm Yasi Cayman. Welcome to among an ongoing faban about life as aid our vibrant connection with the reb and inspired living shaped by the way he teaches us each and every day. This episode has been graciously sponsored by Mendel and D'vorah Trial and Family. >> Good afternoon, Rabbi Ley. How you doing? >> We're doing very well. Barashem, how are you? >> Barakashem, I'm doing well and thank you for being here. >> You're welcome. Thank you for the opportunity and I'm going to take the opportunity to thank you for all you do in the dare. Myself, my family and many in our community enjoy the varm kite that the dare brings. So, Shak for your work and thank you for having me on. >> Okay. You're welcome. And uh it's a and I hope to be able to do more for for a long time. >> Um so, I think we should start off and I want to ask you your in Montreal in the empty sea. For those who are not familiar, you should be. Montreal Torah Center. It's a famous kabat house. Um and you're in an existing your father's the and your uncle. Um maybe you can start off with which with describing a little bit uh about your >> Okay. So as you mentioned my wife and I are here in Montreal in a small municipality called Hamstead and the house here is Montreal Torah center the MTC there's it's a high functioning moided with strong leadership. my father, my parents, and my uncle and his wife. And uh it's a very high functioning mosid with strong leadership both spiritually and physically, administratively. And there's six that work here full-time plus other staff. So there's a lot going on. And every one of us have our role and our place within the within the I can share a little bit with about myas. So first of all my wife and I do all the barb mitzvah here and then me specifically I do a lot of sharimosis. uh along with that comes the larger hashba work fibbrangans and so on and then there is a unique project that we have we're actually coming on to the 10th anniversary of having launched this project uh called the project and essentially it's a platform by which members of our community just general people in the community to get involved in to find a place where they can contribute to the community to the work and be part of the so that's I would say probably the unique component of uh of the that we have here in Hamstead. >> Okay. Um so I wanna I want to focus on one of the things you mentioned a few of them but um this what's it called the >> project it's called actually because it's named after my uncle who passed away 10 years ago was 10th the yard sites coming up uh in my father's brother was not an official he was a businessman but his entire life was dedicated to the cause he was the executive director of the yeshiva in Melbourne which is the central Kabad institution that has all the schools and everything else that goes on there. He was executive secretary of that and involved many other communal issues. So he kind of exemplified this idea of someone who's not officially achie. He's got a business and a successful business um but dedicated his life to the so we named the whole project after him project uh where people can get involved just like he was about involved in people in the community can get involved in in um in that's the idea that's where it came from. >> Okay. So, I've never been to MTC, but I've seen the I guess the spirit of MTC over the years, whether it's coming Shabbasim to the you know, often and I've noticed that there's a whole group. It's not just a kabad house, people come there's people that are totally their lives lives have been totally transformed by being part of MTC. and uh you know you see a guy uh one year then five years later he has a full beard you know that that that type of that that type of thing. >> I've seen that with my with my own eyes. So, so it's very interesting to me that basically one of the important things that you're doing is to ensure that if someone is taking those steps that I guess this is a fundamental part of being is you yourself being involved in a fat and that's what you're trying to to to you know infuse into into the so maybe >> maybe you can focus a little bit on like what the reasoning behind this why this so important and uh you know and obviously this is a big big project that you're involved in. >> Yeah. So so two things to say about what you just said and then I'll back up and answer your question directly. So the first thing to be said is is that that's one of the beauties of working in a high functioning mo with sixim and when it operates properly you can service the full gamut of Jewish life is to like just understand that Hamstead the neighborhood we're in is a square mile and it's 90 something% Jewish. I think outside of maybe curios more. I think this is the high highest what's the word per capita densely populated number of Jews. It's like 90 something% Jewish. So you know inevitably we're going to be servicing all kinds and all types. So and tak you come into sh on chabas here and you'll have people who at these for now are still driving on chabas and others wearing hats beards because they just put them on or for years and we have too like we have the full gamut of Jewish life that that exists in MTC and that's you know a testament to my father my uncle for building this that can operate in that way that's the first thing the second thing in terms of like um people's development as they deepen their connection with and the role role that this project plays. You know I think about it you can think about it in this way. So made us inid what did he do? Well first of all he taught us okay so you want to make go teach and the second thing did is empowered us to reach out to our fellow Jew to do. It's not as if like you're and then you're gracious enough to share your with others by via but the itself the itself is part and parcel of your identity as aid. So if you want to make it to them then you got to provide these things too. It's the teach and you have to provide them with the opportunities and the empowerment to uh to be able to go into. So that that that's the first two things I want to share. But if you want to back up a little bit more and I'm not sure how broad we can go in terms of the philosophy behind uh the LA project and and and what it does. Okay. I'll go I'll back up a bit and you'll tell me how far back I should go and whether I'm going too far back. >> So it starts from there. That's right. You know people who ask this came around 300 years ago. Mutton terror was three and a half thousand years ago like what what uh what what what was wrong with hiddite until this came along right and the answer is obviously very straightforward I mean what was wrong with hidden until the Mishna was written right but at what some point the Mishna had to be written right because is eternal speaks about this in many ter is eternal at the same time is also knew in the sense that ter is constantly being adapted to language and uh to meet the needs of the generation that is living out that right it's not just because you know we're in a generation that's so downchart and we have to you know dumb down we have to write the mishna for people who are going to forget it because we no longer have a sen so we have but this explains for us that this is a progression towards Msia's coming as generations go to itself goes through adaptations not in its essence and its essence remains one truth but it in its language and its application the adaptation happens in generationally In every generation, it's the job of the of that generation to bring and there to the generation in a language that addresses what they're dealing with and addresses the challenges and the opportunities that that that generation in particular uh uh faces. This is true every generation but some in some generations the shift is more radical than others. Right? When you're going from where Sanhedrin and now you're going to be in the diaspora that's a radical shift. So radical change has to be made. We're writing a misha down. Right? Right? And as time goes on, you know, obviously we're not going to go through the whole history of Yiddish. But you come down to the time and they were facing their challenges and the is a radical new change. Yiddish kite is taking on a whole new form. We're looking at we're looking at all the all the various different things that the Bash brings to deal with the challenges that the Yiddish is facing at the time. Of course, the is another radical shift that happens in Yiddish's language. the and so on and so forth. Now like this in every generation are are dealing with this looking at the generation looking at what people are dealing with and what are the struggles what are the opportunities and providing them with the language and the tools to be able to meet those challenges and those opportunities in in a way um in the generation just the world at large is going through radical changes. We still are as we watch technology evolve faster than we can possibly imagine. Right? So the challenges that we're facing are radical. So the shift in focus and language also goes radical to meet those challenges. You could you could use one very a very simple simple sample. I think it's the first if not m you'll tell me if I'm wrong but I think it's one of the first things that the did after accepting wasabad right first and then in America I think it's already right yeah I think so that was a radical change in ink success sitting and having for for women did right and creating these opportunities and you fast forward to well before you get Right? The idea of women being involved in in public life was a new thing in the world and therea created a platform to meet those challenges and now you have women who are who are public who are doing the and so on and so forth. Right? This is just one small sample where there is meeting the challenges of generation and radical steps bring to women's thumb. is just a a funny thing and you go to the next like later push for women to learn right which is a it's a radical shift right it's a radical shift that there was going there was women should learn right so there's a um there's a with the I think it is right and there was pushing him on on it's a matter of public record there was pushing him on women learning and he's kind you know, responding with the classic, oh, you know, conservative, this is not the way we did it, you know, that kind of thing. But you fast forward to today. I mean, the bellsin is is a recognized force, but it's just a funny thing. And the uh the girl schools in bells used to say of the bells, now just something I noticed. But they're like, "What? >> I I didn't know that." Okay. I I'll tell you why I did this because I I once gave a a lecture series on on women in Torah scholarship and history. >> So I began with radical change and then I backed up to see if any other examples because puts in the footnotes of the puts footnotes of examples of women who are learning. So I had to use that as like a as a basis for research. Um so I was looking up the so I started to look up okay where's bells today anyway I just saw that note that little shift. It's just a funny little thing. Um but so taking that as an example right where women are learning terra right and and explains that the goto says that someone who teaches his daughter Tyra is going to have a negative impact today that negative impact will happen if you don't teach your daughter Torah why because if you don't teach them they're going to find it from somewhere else said this in the 80s if that was true in the 80s how much more true is that in the internet age it it's mocked a generation >> where they're being fed other information which is negates It's terol they're engaging with all kinds of information when the information age 10x and people are consuming all kinds of content and unless you have provide them with the proper Torah grounding they're not going to be able to deal with that preempted that like 20 years in advance right by by making this radical change like writing the down but prevented a generation of young girls who grow up who are very confident in their yiddish and confident in their sushkite and they can be they can see all kinds of things and hear all kinds of information But they have their grounding strong which would have never happened if they didn't have that grounding and we see the firm world coming on board. I mean the firm world now has Torah learning for women everywhere across the board. So that's just one sample of where as the looks at the challenges of the generations and and and makes this these uh it's it's wrong to use the word change but these like revolutionary sorry >> but I think that's the the crux of issue. I don't think the inb's view were looking to change, >> right? It's revealing the deeper truth with yidishkite that matches the new challenge. >> Exactly. >> Yeah. There are some other forces that also said women should learn. That's because they were, you know, they were throwing away an old, you know, saying women should learn because of progressive ideas. Yes. Correct. Because a deeper truth was progressing towards Mashiah coming as mentioned in as well. Actually is a good example because over there there were talks about meeting the challenges while at the same time talking about how it's a preparation for Mishia coming. It's the same addresses both of those right which is true of all the I don't want to say change but all the revolutionary adaptations of Yiddish kite Mishna is a downgrade but it's also a step towards Misha's coming right the same because they said the same thing this was to a generation that was feeling down to ways that you have to yet to inspire them and it's also preparation towards coming like both at the same time and both at the same time this is a theme that goes throughout this this like this um this dance between you know it's it's we have to we have to meet the challenges versus we're progressing better towards Mishia's coming anyway so all that just a broad context to this idea of of what we're doing here in terms of inspiring and providing platforms opportunities for them to go on to be involved in Modellium so one of the ways perhaps in which the Reba created this little radical language and what it means to live as a as a Yid andba himself said this actually was the idea that every said this in I think it's in those years certainly um spoke about this idea that the of the generation you know the accomplishment and the unique characteristic of our generation that every so what does what does that mean what does that mean every in fact if you if you look at the that address the let's say by theim if you read them learn them or listen to them it's very interesting that usually what theb does is theb speaks about in the context of every Jew as a >> and the is it and speaks about it at length >> and then at the end says especially those that are officially appointed you know full time as okay that's like the height of it but but in its essence The idea is that every says of there >> okay >> so that kind of actually should be made at the outset that it's not as if the the distinction of the unique class of being a was something that made it's not something that that that I mean they give a only for that's not a secret right but at the same time you're saying in its essence they're speaking to all yidden and they spoke about this multip multiple times every that's the that's the uniqueness of the generation every so what does that mean what is it what's being accomplished here what's doing is simply saying that now everybody has to do and if everybody's doing a then who they doing a fat is too everybody doing a right just on a sidebar I heard from a good friend of mine of art who never says that which is a similar similar sort of thing like when it comes to hakal certainly never talks about is a mashia Right? Today's language talk about meeting the language of the generation. Everybody's an influencer. Everybody's a said this before before the influence of generation said every is an influencer already in the very same regard. >> So these are one of the futuristic things that the spoke about now on their end. >> That's correct. Said every direct quote, right? >> Yeah. >> Translate mashia in English. That's an influencer. >> That's by way direct translation. You can go on and on and on about things that the Reb spoke about that we're only understanding now. I I don't want to detract you, >> but I'll just throw it in there. >> I was watching I was watching the >> spoke about the satellite >> no the second first is about Yeah. about exactly the second goes on a whole long that through the satellite we're connecting mentions Kolkata. We're connected with Kolkata and the DA says in one instant you can have Saddaka through the through the satellite you can have that stuck and and the bank in Kolkata could write your bank here could right away give a wire in the bank in Kolkata. Then Debb goes further and says that um not only that but you can have if you have use a clate like a grocery store in Kolkata through this through the technology right away you can get the food in that grocery store to someone in Kolkata within within seconds within minutes yeah so I remember when I watched this the first time I don't know 15 years ago I was like ah the dev was talking about not only the satellite was probably talking about the internet and now all of a sudden with AI I was like no no no the dev was talking about AI like Now it all makes sense and even the internet like you know what Amazon Prime like what does it what does it what does it mean exactly but oh AI in one second you could do so it's like one of those other >> yeah like you're saying okay influencer so >> go ahead >> yeah so oh so just I was I was sharing before a friend of mine tells me so whenever says everybody's a mashia so he can have two reactions either everybody's a mashia so now I got to go be mashia on everybody or everybody's a mashia so I go to everybody and teach me, teach me, teach me. You know, because everybody is a mashia, right? So everybody has something to offer. Now, both both are definitely are definitely true. It's just an interesting way to think about it. Um so so what's perhaps what they was trying to achieve with this idea that everybody's ach I I think I think that beyond um the idea of reaching out to another Jew is really teaching us how to think about Yiddish kite how to think about our own yiddish kite until this language of everybody being a way you thought about yiddish kite is like this I'm a person I'm a imperfect human And the is absolute perfection and the is great kindness provided us a where an imperfect little human can connect to him and therefore I have to do mitzvah help me connect to him even if it's even if it's even it's about making a home for hem in this world it's these are opportunities by which I can become a you know partner with hashem and become closer to hashem and in that sense of kabad is a central component this is The ultimate way of getting close to Hashem the ultimate right is within the person himself writes in the speaks about this quite a bit in um the person about that in his own mind right it's it's in the person himself bringing godliness into his life looks inside and says okay here is not perfect I got to fix that so I could bring Hashem there this is not perfect fix that so I could bring there right but what happens is in that model and I'm the I'm the recipient. I'm in the receiving end of yishkite, right? If you want to make that simply, a person goes to sh because schol is inspiring. It's going to inspire me. That's how people show up. That's the idea. You go to because of is going to be inspiring and I'm going to get inspired. You show up to Yamt Y is inspiring. He raises me up and I'm going to go receive from Yamt. You're you're makab of Yiddishite. And every part of the kite contributes to something else that you that that you are and that you become and said every changing it around says no no no hold on a second you are responsible for yushkite you're the giver of yishkite you're the bestow of yikite not not the rece recipient of it you're the bestower of it so you come to yumpt the question is not how does yumptiff inspire me the question is okay so how can I make y better for those around me for even for myself but it's the the schluckus that I have to make to make to make the best possible right so it's not that you know he talks about where exists in so I I think perhaps it's not that somehow is we have to um I compromise a little bit on the on the primus because we do a fatza I don't think that's the vert I think it's a mistaken mistaken thinking that that that separates me being a from my relationship with yishkite my relationship with kkite is I've had opinions so I got to compromise on that so I can be a and and and reach out to somebody else. No, you are because it's your job to do take responsibility for you guys. Right? Now your responsibility is then go now your responsibility is to fix that. Go fix it. So in the same way the previous of the previous generations but the previous generation you're fixing it because I got to get closer to the amish and the only way to get closer to the is if I fix this problem that I have and now I'm fixing because that's my >> so in the previous generation it was all about a personal you know let's use the modern words journey and and it's all about a cause. >> That's correct. >> Your responsibility. That's right. And that's what being a means. That's correct. it just Marshall um in in in Tanya Dr. writes that uh when describes a sadic tomorrow's Tanya is now Tanya right where when a um sadic serves the abish there because this is what the abish's mission is out there but you pipe down don't don't do that you do it because you do it because you you're thirsty for god and you want to be connected that's that's a true and honest desire that you might have and work with that but sadic's on a level where his own desire to get close to Hashem is not really relevant. What's relevant is is Hashem's mission and took that and made that for everybody. Everybody's serving because this is mission. You're your job is mission. In in um I think it's days they spoke about becoming before even doing the becoming as a as like a crucial even more important stage in some ways than even doing the because the first thing is to accept that you've been enlisted to accept that you have a responsibility for your what your responsibility is going to be find out. talk to your mash, speak to your friends and find out exactly which way you're going to uh take responsibility for Yiddish. Whether it's going to be supporting or or becoming a somewhere actually or taking care of your family, what's the difference? These are all your responsibilities as a right. But the first step is you got to become a you have to accept that role, right? So the the the essence really of this whole project we did here is to implicate that thinking that when Yumpt comes it's not just okay is the rabbi going to bring well is the rabbi going to give a good sermon but no there's someone in the community who's responsible for distributing you know div up the streets everybody's going to go to and make sure you get your streets make sure you get your neighbors and now that's now it's a part of the part of the is how are you going to contribute to the not just be a recipient of it right That's really what they did for us, right? It's it's like like you know, we feel uncomfortable if we don't like it's not the year we're not offering we feel that responsibility, right? That's what it makes me to feel that responsibility. >> Yeah. >> We actually had a interview with your father in the recently. >> Mhm. He was talking about himself with it was about and he's talking about even himself as a he had you know >> I was there >> how he >> the story he said he mentions the story right >> oh you were there when yeah that when he mentions the story that he was it was in >> he was coming to visit my brother and I and we were both in at the time >> and you you were with right we were walking around somewhere and bumped into >> and they as soldiers right and someone asked you're a lav aer so let's put on fillain and your father didn't have them. >> Yeah. >> And that was a that was that was the the rock bottom. >> So thanks to those I can't tell you how many hundreds of you didn't put on fillin >> because my father carries a film wherever he goes. My uncle carries it wherever he goes and it trickles down to the whole I can't go anywhere without my film. What does this mean? I can't how do I not? So I go wherever I go I have my fill. >> Among is brought to you by we live in a chaotic world. A world where for us we do not have the ability to hear and see the on a daily basis. Yet we know that the is very much with us and is alive and thriving more than ever before. One needs to only tap into it. provides you and your family with the tools necessary to tap into all of this. Whether it's the monthly magazine, the way it all began, whether it's their hair books, their hair online content, and so much more, men, women, and children throughout the world benefit and use these tools on a daily basis. Whether it's children enjoying the children's magazine that comes along with the regular deher or enjoying the children's podcast, whether it's Bahim in Yeshivas receiving the deher, whether it's girls in high schools enjoying their hair club in their local high school, people all over the world and from all walks of life enjoy and utilize these tools and take advantage of it. If you're not already subscribed to the hair monthly magazine, do so today at der.org. That's der.org. The hair is a dynamic organization which is committed to continue providing these tools, grow on a constant basis, and do all that we can to help this effort. Barakashem, it takes a lot of resources and finances to make this all happen. You can be part of through your financial support as well through visiting our website.org or through contacting us to setting up a meeting. Thank you very much. Enjoy the rest of the podcast. >> I'll share with you thing that I heard recently at the on Sunday night after the banquet. They were sitting in 770 and I was sitting with my good friend of mine. Um, Rabbi Mendi Mach and I think he also in the summer is a somewhere in upstate New York. Anyways, I'm asking him what are you coming with about he tells him like this. He says that here's there's a story from his elite I think Paris Mkin and the story goes like this. There was a a baker during the hard days in Russia and uh you know most elaborate in the hard days there's no food there's nowhere to go. They're constant being chased from place to place. There's always the risk of being caught and put sent to Siberia and so on. So Mumba decides that he wants out and said he's going to the communist university and not because he lost faith in this guy, but because he didn't see any end like like what's going to become of me? What am I going to do here? I'm just going to do this for another couple days and get thrown out, go to somewhere else, put somewhere else and then go to Siberia and die. Like what am I doing this for? Like what's like I'm not going to Nothing's going to come of me. So he decided he wants to leave. So there's a one night fight. there's a faban one night and the agenda is to get this baka to stay. So everybody's speaking and trying to tell him this and inspire him and uh nothing's happening. He's not responding. Homemite goes and pair decides he wants to speak and tells him like this. You want to go out there into the world because you want to become something. You want to become something. I'm telling you that a something in the world out there is a garnish for us. And that spoke to him and the baka stayed. So my friend Majim Machki explains he says what what was parent saying. Parents saying like this you want to be something. What what is a something? Making a living and and and and uh having nice nice stuff that that's becoming something. That's a nothing for us. We we have real being something a real being something. You're serving there. That's real life. You want to be something stick around here right so much menkin my friend says tells the bak that's good other way around what we think is of the nothing over here is everything out in the world so what we in in we think okay not the best learner not the best do okay so when he go out there in the world he takes responsibility fork he's everything >> he's thinks a garnish by not garnish is by garnish all other way around. It's a very tart. It's a very deep verse that in in in there's a verse in the that every now and again should think about what he would look like without Tanya and what it look like now that he learned Tanya which is you know applicable to and connection to a person thinks about what you know what would you be if you didn't have the third and what you look like now because we sometimes take for granted things that we that you know that just exist in our culture exist in our millu and you just pick up and we take them for granted because they exist You don't realize that what you're thinking is a nothing is what the whole world is starving for. The whole world is starving for what you have here. Taking responsibility for something meaningful. The whole the whole world's looking for for that. Right. You want to get uh all of it, right? Our generation is generation of Malus of Malus. Yeah. Malus, the spirit of Malus is left. It doesn't have anything of its own. >> This is based on what the says each correct different. That's right. in our generation is is malus. So what's the what's the what's the nature of malusam right in the person's experience is the desire and the ability to project communication to speak. So what you're going to project what comes next right doesn't have anything of its own it just wants to be heard it wants to project it and wants to share what you're going to share okay so you'll share your hma you'll share your share so on so forth it's just this desire to want to share if there's any if there's ever a generation where the idea of I want to be heard is is uh is what people want our generation everybody has to be heard what they're going to say we'll find out after but everybody wants to be heard right and they were like preempted that by So like decades in advance said of course you need to be heard cuz you're responsible for kite and if you don't do it doesn't exist there was a here who came to Montreal to fundra uh he's a local voice he came back to visit say he's speaking in char and um he's actually out in Russia somewhere some small little town there's a lot to say about how he and the ble with which he was very beautiful he says that one of his first years being there they were him and his wife were discussing whether they should have services for I don't know tishabove whatever so like on the one hand he's like the services for tishbuff who's coming for tish above services it's just going to be me maybe maybe one other guy like what am I to make myself crazy for I decided he's doing it why because if he doesn't do tishov and that's it doesn't exist it doesn't exist you know and and I and I took that very like it's true for everybody you're responsible for the kite in in your own personal life, in your family life, in your community. And if you don't do it, it doesn't exist. No such thing as someone else is going to do it. What someone else is going to do, they're going to do. But what you're going to do doesn't exist unless you do it. So you are the only in this regard, and you have to take responsibility for it. It's the it's the ultimate uh it's the ultimate truth, which is like the the antidote to the ultimate checker of our generation where everybody thinks they're like self-important and everybody has to be self-expressed. The ultimate that the ultimate antidote to that is yes, you have to be self-expressed because unless you take responsibility for the you're nobody is the is the famous the famous the explains at length that you knowb speaks about that the whole concept speaks about the whole concept So, the lampshik, the lamp lighters. Um, and um what the says there is that in the times of the this was specifically and only for those that were theim that learned in labav. And if you think about it, you know, who were the the talk, you talked about Russia before midn all of these figures, they all learned in lab these were, you know, these were the selected group of people that held up. Then the Reb explains in that that in this generation it changed and now every single person whether they learned in or not are now have that obligation to be the latest and I mean it's such a foundational concept and this is basically what you're saying and it's it's interesting the way you're framing it that of course the Reb is saying that because this is the generation where everyone has a podcast and everyone and everyone is uh you know it's all about I guess I guess I I discussed this on with one of the other guests in towards the beginning of when we started this that there's a certain self-absorption that people have today >> everything's about the eye and how do I feel >> and I guess that's the reality that people are doing this whether it's a good thing or not but that's the reality so how we like you said the Mishna was it a good thing it was needed obviously it's a good thing because it's more right so now we we are able to take this um st whatever the way the way the world is uh the way way people are living today and you know people are thirsting for the the eye it's like no problem we have a for you go take over your your family your community your dam is your your work your workplace or become a whatever whatever it is you know this is so it's it's fascinating that this is this is okay malus this is malus >> yeah there's a lot of different ways you can come at this just to remind afterwards I want to share something about uh everybody's thirsty for an eye. I'm going to share something but before I want to share something else that's related to this you know for example you have um is right understand what that means oneness it's also so what does look like means that as much as you can whatever you're doing is serve thee right otherwise There's a plurality. Here I'm serving God and here I'm serving my hunger and here I'm serving my desire for money and here I'm my serving my my desire for attention. I got multiple gods going on right instead of one. But means whatever I'm doing it's all it's all for the right. It's it's very difficult to get mamish every every everything is all akashem when when I'm feeding my children is also like and sometimes feeding my children is taking off my time from learning go what's going on now you know but when when you're there's only one question what does need from me now that's the question so now needs for you to take care of your kids it's the same now need that's your is nothing you're responsible for then that's your whatever you're doing you're always a it's the ultimate it's the ultimate oneness in your in your entire reality right um there's a there's a there's a I don't remember when speaks about about uh sleeping night when a person sleeps if he sleeps to the he have energy to tomorrow to serve the then it's also part of the service of hashem right says that That's like it's like two steps. It's like this is like a necessary evil to get to the point that I really want to get to. But what I really want to get to is serving tomorrow. It'll be much more says the Reba if in the moment of the sleeping itself you're not serving the so >> this explains all the time the difference between doing something with >> that's a lower level then everything is much higher level. Right. >> Also sleep is the hardest one because you're not conscious. You're not aware. You're not aware. So how do you how do you get it there? >> I say how is it? >> Yeah, exactly. So says like this and he doesn't fear the niml just gives the marshall. He says you imagine a soldier. So a soldier is at his post and he could be sleeping at his post but as far as the enemy is concerned he doesn't know if the person's sleeping or not. The very fact that there's a post with a soldier already holds off the enemy. So the soldiers of now even in the asleep he's serving the cause because the very fact that he's there already wards off the enemy. Okay that's never ends. What's the right soim as part of the same thinking that the very fact that you are a that's you've accepted that this is my role in life take responsibility for my I'm not a recipient of kites I'm of kites and it doesn't matter where you are and what you're doing or what you're not doing you're always in a mode. So the question is what you have to do. Okay. So now is this do that now it's something else do something else it's the ultimate uh you know right it's then no matter what happens it's always equal because if you know remember that did it to you then doesn't matter what happens so there's another way to think about that in this kind of sign that no matter what happens it's always it's always the exact same question what does want me to do now something good happens in life okay what does want me to do now something the opposite happens same question what does want me to Now it's always one question if you're a doesn't matter what the circumstances of the situation happens to be the the accepting the and being remains across the board. I just want to just want to throw in there that while we're talking about how every but if you think about the the the philosophy behind it the way you're so eloquently explaining it now we can understand the of the with actually making official >> taking regular people and saying your whole being including your job including your home including your family including your where you live, every single part of you is in order to fill the and the moment that you the minute that you're fundraising and then when you're dinging and when you're with your family that it's 24 hours that's that's the ultimate manifestation of it, you know, being an official >> but because it's harder it's harder when when you're not an official you have to work at it more you know how do I make my business how do I make my uh you know my family right >> but but uh Okay. >> So, how do you how do you teach this to the to to your to your constituents in in MTC? >> So, this is a big noise in our FAS first of all because it's part of the >> By the way, I still have to remind you about the I >> Oh, okay. Yeah. So, that's a big noise in our first of all. We we talk about this a lot about it a lot, but at this point we've been doing it for 10 years now and it's really become like a indistinguish part of the fabric of the community. So as Fabangans well you know well members in the community who have been involved in doing this things will share what they did and what happened today I met a Eid and I did this and it becomes part of the the the the culture and the shar within the community is your involvement in one way or another certainly when it comes around Yamiff or if there's like I mentioned before that we it's 95% Jewish here so if there's ever an affair in the park in the local Hamstead Park right so the mayor of our municipality Hamstead is a full member of our scholars. There's an article written about him on you can have a look at Jeremy Levy. So we have a beautiful partnership with the with the local municipality. So at these fairs we'll have a a setup. So the only there is me or my father, my uncle as as it may be, but otherwise it's manned by members of our community. And what ends up happening is it's so beautiful because half the people in the in the at the fair are their friends. >> They're bringing their friends over, their neighbors. Oh, come check out the booth for my show. Come, you know, and then and and it creates this kind of uh culture in the community where everybody's talking about I don't have to preach it anymore, you know. I don't have to I don't have to like preach it. It's part of the it's part of the fabric of the community. It's a very beautiful thing. Certainly around these fairs that it's big part of our our culture here. By the way, that's a dynamic that specifically a nonofficial has and an advantage that they have over a regular >> that's you finishing off your business meeting and asking the guy to put on fill and we're starting that way or let's say we're going to before we do a business deal we're going to do givea or that type of thing a lot more >> of it's a lot more real because like oh we we we need to do I there's a >> someone I'm friends with in Crown Heights there's a business person and he was telling me how his business partner said a few years ago his business partner was a Persian Jew. He said, "What do you mean we he told his partner we are going to the before we signed the contract fact?" Okay. And now it became an occurrence that happens again and again. Okay. When we have to go to the like you know like >> it's not you know come to the it's like oh we're doing business. This is how we do business. You know we got to go to the first >> it's much deeper much deeper effect. >> It all has to do with the confidence. The way this man said it, this is the fact you say with confidence there's a there's a infall one of those with like gives like almost like a checklist of how you do how you do and one of the things that says there is that if right if you speak from the heart it's going to reach the person you're talking to and if it doesn't reach the other person you're talking to then the problem is not him the problem is you didn't mean it with you didn't mean it for real so said the there not that he should listen to you but that you should mean it and then they'll go okay so I was teaching this uh the to learning with a couple of of here and uh one of the bakam tells me he's a student at Concordia here and there's like two Jews in his class that he knows and after this uh he go like you know he's tried before it didn't really work they were always you know eking becking He says, "Okay, you know what? Singapill." He says, "The pitum and the guy takes cover off. He puts on fill in." This is what he tells me. So, I I got inspired by that. And uh so I said, "Okay, I'm going to do that." Someone tells me no or uh or from the you know, lacking a little confidence in asking given the circumstances, I'm not sure what the person's going to say. I'll say someone first. So, and I did that. And what happens ends up happening is that while you're saying to him, you end up like thinking to yourself, this is this is my own little experience. It's like what am I doing here? And who do I represent? This is not the little lady when you ask someone. This is this is right. This is my responsibility here. The Reb sent me to put on ask him like this shy fact. We're put on film. Roll up your sleeve. Let's do it. So the next time that happened was was uh went to someone in the hospital. It was a very very bad situation. The gosh was in a very very dire situation and he's a self-proclaimed agnostic. So every time I asked him put on fill and he would kind of like push me off. I I taught this kid bar mitzvah. So he would come sometimes with a son I would try to put on with him. Nished he did put on and had a son bar mitzvah that yes. Anyway, so he's in the hospital because of whatever's going on. So I go to visit him and I like I have he has to put on film today. Agnostic should be agnostic. He has to put on film today. There's no way about it. So I get there and I tell him I say kill him. I said, "Okay, you got to you got to put on film today." "No, Rabbi, you know already. I'm an agnostic. If I put it on, I'd be lying." And I don't want to be I don't want to be a liar. So his sister's sitting there and his sister says, "No, no, one second. You like the rabbi, right? You want to make the rabbi feel good." So, but I'm filming for the rabbi. That wouldn't be a lie. You're doing it for the rabbi because you like him, right? >> And I said, "No, no, that's not going to work for me." I said, "Listen, you have an you care about Yiddish kite and you made your son Bit because you care about Yiddish kite is a Yiddish kite thing. You want to fill Rabbi, you're right. Roll the sleeve rolls the sleeve up and we and we put on film with him." It was very emotional scene. His mother walked in the middle. She was crying. I was crying. He was crying cuz then uh we said he explained what is um anyway so just this this idea that the confidence you remember who you are and what you are that you are a right before doing says beh and you have that confidence the whole world is open for you and nobody's waiting for you the whole world everybody's waiting for you nobody's waiting for you to take your responsibility and play a role. Mhm. Okay. So, um it's it's interesting because it's not only it's also the it's the the same concept of as you but also wherever you are >> it's the same idea. So, for example, the Reb told many people that were used to mention the hospital that were in a hospital say for their own medical needs. >> I say his name. Yeah. >> No, there's many people the people at the told him if you're there it's in order for you to do in the >> Y. >> So it's the same idea that like what do you mean? I'm going to the hospital because I need a procedure, >> right? >> No, you need a procedure is because that's >> Yeah. >> That's that's why that's why you're going to meet this Jewish doctor who you would have never met. >> So obviously you have to you have to Actually, recently I was in the hospital. My son had a procedure and uh some I was texting someone. Someone said >> I assume >> yeah it was um and um someone texted I was texting someone so he wrote okay by the way for sure I had my film with me. I was all geared up, you know, you know, I had to read the Misha new article to be inspired, you know, to to and I was all geared up and the doctor had a nice Jewish name. Turns out he wasn't Jewish. So it didn't work out in that that scenario. >> But your then was to inspire yourself in that minute. That was >> exactly Yeah. >> Whatever the circumstances are, there's always no such thing as no such thing as not your note of now. >> And and the mitzvah also, right? >> Right. I mean even if it's not reaching out to somebody else even if it's your own that's your now right even your even if you're >> this also has to do with the whole idea of um I mean for I've seen so many letters from the rabbi that people wanted to move places >> they want to leave they wanted to or give up their job or you know looking for something you know the grass is greener some type of other opportunity and the rebba very often. I mean obviously and did let people move but but as a as a rule is discouraging people from from just picking up and and moving and usually the says what do you mean you're influential in your community you have hashba for sure if you're a rabbi or you're something like that that's for sure but even if not it's you know like the whole concept people want to make aliyah >> so usually the deb is telling people that when there's something to do here and that's why you're here. So it's all part of the same concept that and is a you and you're to to your place and it's just I have >> right right and it's a very foreign concept to people that they're not exposed to the rabbis point of view >> because you meant to receive from you receive from your rabbi you >> right my contract my contract is done and um I'm going to make alya or whatever have a better business opportunity you know uh moving to to to somewhere else like next like the community what what I owe the community. >> Yeah. >> What do you mean? Do you know what you do in the community? Do you know how influential you are? Do you know how good a positive influence you have in your friends? You know what your role is? People are not even thinking that way. >> Yeah. >> They're not even realizing their their own worth. >> So the mayor I was talking about mayor of Hamstead had a story like that. It's in theor article. You can have a look at it. He um was thinking of moving for whatever reason and he went to the oil with my father and there they met with a certain person and they had a fang about this idea that if you're somewhere it's because you have an influence and you have an impact and lab the impact he had after that is not just in Hamstead where we live the major I mean incredible partnership we have with the city and being able to do a lot of the hata that we do just small example every we have a shifer in the park in every single park in this in the in the square It's 11 parks. Every park has a blowing and the people who do the are as part of this project. So we learned the weer 11 guys go out and 2,000 people here on it's not it's it's wild but for that you need a partnership with the city right. So this is one example but many other examples of things we do in the city that we have this partnership and all thanks to the fact that he went to the oil and had this and was inspired by this idea that if you're in somewhere this is your to stay there and after um with the attack in especially in Canada with all kinds of anti-semitism that was going on our municipality through this mayor became like a a voice for kite unmbarrassed unabashed and he was like quoted in the newspapers all over the country not because he decided to stay and take the of you know except that that role of just lay out here in in in Hamster and not go off to another city which he thought would be more comfortable for him. This is mish happened to us. >> It's beautiful. It's beautiful. >> Yeah. I encourage you to read the article >> and it's also I I over the years I I speak to an a certain sentiment. So first of all the is very clear that mitzvah uses that terminology is everyone should go. Obviously that's the ideal thing that wants to actually right >> um on the other hand we're talking about this idea that something that's not is also so I I I realize that I've been speaking to people and I notice a little bit of a trend especially with older people you know people that are probably in their late 50s 60s it's almost like a regret and they look around and they see this huge this famous guy. They're all my friends and I was supposed to go here and I was I was going to go there and I was going to go here, you know, like they were about to go, they wanted to go, but it's almost like and and then I did it and so now, you know, he's the big and I'm the this guy, you know, I'm making money, I'm not making money, whatever. And it's like it's like a regret. I'm like, okay, fine, done, over. But ultimately, that's not the right attitude. Yeah, maybe you should have gone or and could you could you if you if you could do it today, I don't think you can, but if you could, you know, go do it. But but but you're not done. What are you how are you involved in the Reb's mission? How how are you today? Like how are you spreading? How are you spreading? One of the biggest positive changes of the last 15 years is this. >> One of the integral components of being aid are the andag whether it's orim these days give us an opportunity to connect with our to connect with each other and be better. What is the story behind each of these days? How did the rabbi commemorate and celebrate these days? And most importantly, what are the lessons, the takeaways, and the action items needed for each of these days? All of this and much much more are answered in the new set recently published by Dher. Our days is a journey through the Kabad calendar in story, meaning practice with over 700 beautiful glossy pages with elevated content, beautiful, beautiful photographs. You, your family and friends will enjoy and live with each. This book is a must for every labamature home, for every schul, for every school. It is a perfect gift item. This will not collect dust. It will be used day after day, month after month, year after year. You can have the set. Go to deher.org/ org/our days. Order your set today and start living with. >> First of all, all those people you're talking about have children or nephews or cousins, >> right? >> Children themselves. They have they have their own children and that becomes a big part of their own uh like being committed to the is the supporting of their own children or their or their brother that went on or their their you know their their nephew. It's a big part of being a lab today. even matter where you're living and if you're not technically and especially especially specifically heights which spend it time hosting and their 10 times a year. >> Yeah, it's like every other >> it's not normal. >> It's actually crazy. It's it's literally the capital of the world like hands down it's not even your boast doesn't have any heights. seriously between between then and then it's it's non-stop I mean I know if my own siblings who live there I constantly have you know ask my siblings if I can stay there for night I have this one come this one come okay this room is available you know totally normal a random shabas it's the contribution that uh it's one of the beautiful shifts over the last 15 years is like the universality of the contribution that is doing to the reb mission including these people you're talking about in karnites either through their support or push open their homes up to the amazing way >> it's a it's this is an old thing it's not a last 15 years when the started the who do you think half the people doing you know how many in crown heights were going on Sundays to do >> what do you think hosted all all the all the all the college campus the for the pigisha what do you think they stayed they they >> yeah there many many families. >> I think the level we're at today is like way way higher than it was. The level >> Oh, for sure. No, I'm saying >> yeah, certainly started then. Yes, certainly. Certainly started. >> This is the way it was supposed to be from the beginning. This is not this this this is this is what it is. This is the idea. >> Yeah. A lot of these cultures changing that started once and then grew. I was talking to someone an older person who is talking about moving to a small town and like you know you know how many live there already. No one ever such a thing. No one such a thing. You know, our our vision for what the saw 40 years ago, 60 or 70 years ago is radically shifted. Like it it took us time to catch up, you know, saying they were saying things ahead of time. You know, it's like they were speaking, you know, now we can say 20 years in advance. We're we're trying to catch up and trying to see how how broad the vision is, how big it is, and how how really it's all-encompassing. really really means it when he says everybody's needed. He really means it. He really means when he says that everybody has to contribute. He wasn't joking. He wasn't trying to make you feel good about yourself. He meant that he actually needs it. That's really what's needed to happen now. Everybody has to be. It wasn't just making you feel good because you don't have a badge at the point. He really meant it. Everybody has to be a anyway. >> Okay. So um so obviously the way you under appreciate all of this I think is I you have to be plugged into the in order to to to appreciate this and understand this and that's going to happen through learning learning learning which maybe I could maybe I should focus a little bit on that a little bit because I know a lot of what you do in MTC is mamish teaching. Mhm. >> Um I think that's like and you said that already, but that that's a huge part of of of of what you're doing. So how does that how does the the limudas like how do you see that affecting people's minds and but and I'm assuming your own might be learning more now than in than in Yeshiva, you know, because you actually have to understand it because you have to be able to teach it to someone else. Yeah, my father has the college boy world. If you want to demonstrate if you to yourself, if you actually understand what you're learning is if you can explain it to an intelligent college student, then you know you understood it. >> I don't know how intelligent the college students are today. >> You want to talk to an educated person and you educated person who has no background. you can explain to that person then you know you said to be able to uh just aside thing just the importance of finding language that that that uh that talks to you and learning citizens that actually talks to you right Sim Jacobs Rabbi Sim Jacobson shares a story he said it one I didn't hear from him directly I heard in one of these classes he was giving when he he was aer at the same time he's also teaching Tanya and beska in kites and uh I I Guess as a result he had uh access to the Reb in a way that maybe some others didn't. So he asked the Reb if he can translate the word in the front in the which is usually translated as close or near. He wanted to know if he can translate it as relevant. And if I remember the story correctly, if you ever speak to him, you can ask him directly made a check on the word >> it's relevant. >> Relevant. So now to explain very well how it is exceedingly relevant with your mind and heart. It's a small change but changes everything right. So you know like when I teaching it's like okay said that everybody has a do you feel like you have two people inside you? If you don't then you didn't understand what Kanye said because it's talking about you not it's not a theoretical thing about people who have about some mythical creature who has two neposcious. No you have two necessious. So unless you unless you understand how that applies to what you're feeling and thinking then you're not reading it correctly right. So unless he's talking to some issue that you have then you're not we're not learning it correctly. So just define language that actually talks to you in the way not language as in English versus that it could be in any language you want. language in the sense of um the way the message is received and the way the message is communicated in such a way that actually is relevant to what you're to what you're to what you're dealing with and what you're dealing with right um so having having said that and I have to give you know full credit to my my father's my teacher for before I went to learning so this is my father so it's really my first uh first primary teacher and and specifically in this regard to be able to find language that is relevant not not hide behind the minor's language to say that you understood it you know repeat back behind the word sorry >> I want to throw in mix of the fun of but uh I happened to bump into you Sunday morning of the or maybe it's Friday morning of this year in 770 and we ended up learning a together >> oh that's right I didn't see you anyway yeah you want you're looking for me to And I was actually very amazed how you learn that first of all you translated every word and you made sure that not just you know people like rattle off like a concept and they they like you're saying hide behind the's words they explaining it in the same thing that is said in the m without actually understanding what it what that word what what it's saying to you. I I I saw this I saw I never wa you know watched or attended your sh but I saw in learning with you that you embody this. Yeah, it's definitely something I I learned from my father for sure. Uh try to do as best I can. Even though I learn myself in my own mind, I try to translate everything into English. The language I speak, that's how I speak, right? I speak and think in English. Okay? So then then translate it into that language that you can actually understand what you're saying. And in that regard, learning with somebody else compels you to do that because again, you can't hide behind the words. The person needs to understand what you're saying. So you have to actually use words that the person that the person understands, right? So it kind of compels you to to dig deeper and make sure you're understanding it more correctly and more properly so that you can communicate it uh in such a way and certainly preparation is like is key again something I learned from my father who told me that if you don't prepare for your shim it's like it means you're not respecting your crowd they came and took off time to listen to you then the least you can do is prepare to say something that's meaningful to them right so which means you have to learn on your own sit and learn right and then beyond that I Everybody everybody has to they're thrown around word a lot you know every has to everybody likes to throw that word allowed but in the holy books everybody has to have a learning right being a big doesn't exempt you from that being a busy >> yeah learn not to prepare for >> not to for correct learn because you haven't stayed there limitless of this stay there limitless of this you learn in the same way learn the same way where you're translating the words to English and to yourself and making sure understanding what you're saying. But every that's relevant using that word it's relevant to you. Um, and even if it even if you don't use it in a shear, it ends up it ends up contributing. I think it was a I think it was by bump in Detroit told him, correct me if I'm wrong, but it's from memory told him before we went that he should learn a few more and this right >> I'm not I don't not familiar. I left asked by his grandkids. They'll know better for sure. But I'm quite sure that they told him something to the effect of as a preparation for you'll learn more. First of all, you'll learn you have more to say. You'll you'll know more. And then said something to the effect of I think that was the Lion something along those lines. Which means if you yourself are a person that's quote unquote a London which means you're involved in the world of learning and you're absorbing then whatever you're teaching even if you're not teaching that which you learned but what you're teaching gets heard better because you're not just a person who's you know regurgitating something you read that morning you're a person that's a person living in and living in living in >> it comes out from >> yeah it's not someone that knows how to learn something that's that learns. >> Yeah. Correct. That's right. And it it has it definitely has its impact in all regards that when you know when you're communicating with people, your own learning comes through even without even without trying even without specifically teaching that thing. But it comes through because because it becomes part of who you are, right? That's the idea and that's part of the right. It's part of the >> how what what do you see with the in the people that are learning that you're learning with how do you see it affecting them? >> Right. So >> changing them. >> Yeah. There's definitely times when you can see as you're learning with someone like this slowly start to like their eyes start to slowly open up and they start to think different. You start to you can see the wheels turning. you know, have to like pause what you're saying because the wheels are turning and if he's talk talk more than I've been hearing what you're saying because they're still trying to process something was so radical and so different to what they to what they uh have thought previously. I'll give you an example. Okay, so I'll use the example of the the eye that we've mentioned before, right? So it's this new modern uh mod. Everybody has to love themselves. It's a very it's a very it's a thing nowadays. Sure people like you and me are not aware of this but it exists out there in the world. Present company excluded but it exists the thing exists out there in the world. People are very busy with loving themselves and okay so what does that mean and how does how does this respond to that? Yeah. So says right love your fellow as you love yourself. So assumes you love yourself. >> Yeah. That's what that that's part of the line that this school of thought likes to say that you can't love you can't love anyone else if you don't love yourself. Okay. >> So I don't know how many production were written about loving yourself since that partic was written >> usually aime is a negative thing when it's talked about >> exactly isn't that funny? So loving yourself and and the truth is again president company included but it when when people that exist in the ether are very busy loving themselves it's very difficult to to like get love from them because it's there's like a compromise has to be made and that this part of the whole part of the whole shitta you know you're taking care of the whole world so you got to compromise a little bit love your fellow so you can love yourself a little bit more >> that's that's the whole shitta which is the opposite of the pik said the pik said myself >> I'm going to have what to contribute to others if your buckets It's empty. You know that that type of thing, >> right? Exactly. So, stop taking care of everybody. Stop loving everybody else and make sure you love yourself a little bit, right? Which which is like the opposite of the pik. The pik is love your fellow just like you love yourself. I mean, somehow to love myself is supposed to be an extension and bleed into loving the other when in reality it seems at least the way it's projected today that it's a contradiction. Loving myself versus loving somebody else. It's going to one's going to have to give. >> Right. Mhm. >> Anyways, I was thinking about this and the truth is that if you look in uh in right talks about which is a standalone really right in theory you can skip and uh in it actually does >> it was added it was added after and by the way I also noticed in the new that almost all the is only from It's incredible. It's mish incredible. >> Usually it's like and that is like it's like only the like and how many times the mention this >> are we having conversation with somebody about but qualifies that also it's it's very interesting. Anyway, it mean on the base is is part of is under the uh century in >> Mhm. as opposed to >> okay which >> is interesting like that although it's bu in >> that's what it is that comes to Israel not to Israel but that's a >> anyway so base comes in the heels of >> you're saying well is there too actually in the same entry in it lists all the various different forms of including including bay amongst you anyway If I remember correctly, someone someone will correct me if I'm wrong. Anyway, so a lot of days comes after right now in inf says like this which comes after where the person went through a whole process of like critical self analysis, right? The person looks in the mirror and says, "Okay, this is hideous. I'm self-absorbed here. I'm this this I'm I'm fault I'm lying about that and all these different things you're supposed to tell yourself about about yourself right very very critical that is anyway then at the end of says okay so you can't serve God like that you can't serve God beating yourself up you have to you have to come out of that come to a right that's the transition in fact between being self-critical versus having a joy and then he says wrote like this everything you said to yourself about how hideous and terrible you are all They're all true of my ego. All true of my ego. But beneath that there is an which is one with a never got corrupted. Is perfect pure and not self-absorbed. It's only committed to the cause. And I'm going to make my mission to express that and from there he goes to be now which you're focused on is that pure and then you can love everybody else because everybody else also has an so love your fellow as you love yourself. Question is which self are you loving? If you're loving the egotistical self, yes, it's going to be a contradiction to love your fellow. You're not going to be able to do it. >> And there might not be so much to love. You know, there might be some flaws. >> Sorry, >> there might be some some negative things that you don't really you don't really love. Not every not everything that you possess is lovable. >> Yeah, there's a lot to deal with, right? That was the last few chapters. But now understand that the love yourself is not the ego. It's not take care of yourself, love yourself. is love yourself because you have a perfect pure nishama that's on a mission from the neighborh and if that's what you're loving then you see that everybody else not contradiction anymore not a contradiction anymore right so this is like just an example just recently where we had had a sh like this and you know at the beginning when I'm kind of half jokingly half seriously describing what it means to love yourself you know everybody's smirking because they all know what that's like you know and then you say something like oh and the person who's busy loving themselves they're very hard to hang out with because they don't have a lot of time to love you back and you can see smirking because everybody knows everybody knows someone like that. And then when you introduce this idea that the who's the true you? Who's the real you that you're accentuating here? If the you you're accentuating is self advancement, then of course everybody in life is going to be in comp competition with you. It's going to be miserable because you're constantly trying to compete with everybody else trying to advance themselves. But the moment you start to realize the real the real you is the part of you that never got corrupted right then everything becomes beautiful because every is like that right or like uh you know you start to see people's eyes open up and they you know this is a small example like it's not just a shift in obviously so it's a shift of like okay what do I think of myself in the world who am I in this world what's my objective here what am I doing just self- advancement get more stuff make a bigger house like what's what's what's worth the goal where am I what am I doing? Who am I? Right? So these are small things that we take for granted as laborators because we grew up learning service but they're monumental shifts in people's thinking when they introduce them to each other for the first time. >> I had that experience another example that I had learning with someone. I learn every Thursday night with a few people. I basically learn through you know depending I actually read it in >> Yeah. I read it in Yiddish and I translate it. Doesn't happen every Thursday night, but it's consistent over many years. It happens, you know, often. Um, I just I read it and translate and like you're saying, when you translate it, you have to be able to un say it every single concept in English. So, you end up learning it well and teaching it well. So one of the people I once had a conversation like what would you think about like saddaka like contributing and the person said I have a different philosophy about sedaka what charity means it's a different thing you know and I'm like okay no problem I left it where where it was then many one one one Thursday night we're learning a about start speaking about sodaka it's a famous says that saddaka the word is not translated properly in English it's translated as charity and that's the wrong translation because it's not charity it's righteousness it's it's the right thing to do means saddak it's the right thing to do and therefore why is it the right thing to do because if you look at the world and and you know the is here and you're there and it's you made the money therefore it's your money and therefore why would I part with my money give it to somebody else okay so obviously doesn't really make sense unless you're particularly generous or you like doing this, but if if you know what sodaka actually means and it all comes from the you're the gizbar, the one that Hashem is entrusting to hold the money in order to give the sodaka and that then it's saddic that's the right thing to do. I said remember that moment where that same person that I had that conversation with that told me it's a different philosophy about charity which which I didn't even attempt to change his philosophy. he learned when he learned it inudas learned it from the Reb I saw like the the the light bulbs go off like in his mind like oh my gosh like I never thought about that like that's crazy like like and that's how like you can see radical shifts in people's mindset from from from from li and a good story in that regard go ahead >> no I'm saying this this is this is we're talking about we're picking on the guy that doesn't know so much because you because I take you more seriously maybe but um >> no it's also for you not to take for granted when you when you compare to someone that doesn't have what you have you start to see what you have >> right but so I'm saying the same thing for us all these things that you talked about earlier I mean and everything and many other concepts you need to constantly pump yourself up >> with a remind yourself >> no no I'm saying with with learning >> and oh yeah >> what do you think you get the where do you think you get this from? Yeah, you get this from learning and learning the I'm saying I'm saying this is going how you get your mind is going to be shaped and if you can't rely on on what you did 10 years ago because you probably didn't understand 10 years ago. What were you saying? You had an example. >> Oh, so just first but it's not just that you don't didn't understand 10 years ago but you're a different person 10 years ago, >> right? >> And and if you're talking about being relevant, what was relevant to you 10 years ago is not necessarily relevant to you now, right? Just from the stories of this, you can kind of see that where like problems that a 13-year-old have, they were took with the same seriousness as, you know, the prime minister of Israel coming of his problems because in this kid's world, that's a real thing, right? So whatever is relevant to that person at that time, that's what they have to learn for. So you're you're 10 years you're 10 years advanced in your life. So you're you have the relevancy is 10 years more advanced than it was then, you know? So you have to learn it again to talk to talk to who you are now today. Anyway, the example I was going to give you about a real world example of this and it links back to the idea of being a is so my my father's father um is a businessman wasn't was wasn't isn't a card carrying labeer per se. He doesn't wear a bam, his clean shaven beard. Um, I'm not going to get the whole story now, his connection to Labage and how it all happened. But bottom line is that he married woman and he was involved in the Babage ever since then. Um, so he was the secretary of the Shiva, the executive secretary of the Shiva from its inception till he retired and my uncle we mentioned before he took over for my grandfather's position. Now, in his capacity as the secretary, he ended up giving exorbitant amounts of sucker to the to the school >> in Melbourne >> and in Melbourne and not always or most times not a campaign where his name was going to go onto the billboard. It was more and I'm going to tell you that my grandfather told me these stories. He, you know, Ron would call him up and say, "Max, payroll is coming next week and we're short 40,000." Dutyfully, my grandfather wrote a check, give it to him, and that was the end of it. You know, a couple months later, same thing happens. Max, we're coming up to the payroll. We're short 20. You know, my grandfather's telling me the stories. You know, I was I was looking over there. He's telling me these stories and um and he's telling me all these different stories about circumstances that happened and why someone messed up. And because that person messed up, they were short of payroll. Now, you have to pay for it. And at the end of this whole thing, I'm like, Z, I don't understand like just give away money like that. Like, my like what's going on? Um, so he told me something he said it so nonchalantly and I don't even think he'll have remembered even even having said it 10 minutes later he probably forgot he said it you know he was so mish casual he said to me he's like I don't understand something so because I'm not talented enough to be a teacher therefore I get to be rich like what are you talking about >> not that like Max knew he's a rich guy he's very smart and very clever did a lot of good business and in his graciousness he decides he's going to presque some of his hard-earned money to Yeshiva because he thinks yeshiva is a good cause. That's not what he said. It's like oh like like since when am I supposed to have the money more than somebody else? It was like such was such a pastas like I you know it's one of those like moments that I hope to you know never forget that because it doesn't matter what case for him was money and for somebody else it's something else but it's the same of being a it's what you are and what you have is not the yours. Your ego I these are my things. No, no. You're at your and you're becoming tools for your and that's what that's that's what that's why they exist. That's why all these things exist. Tools for your and everybody in there everybody in their in their way. >> I guess we have to take this seriously. Take the seriously >> take the seriously. Take seriously. Definitely. >> Okay. >> Take the >> So, thank you for inspiring me and others. And uh I hope that uh there'll be one more person will be plugged in from from our conversation. >> Thank you for the opportunity and again thank you for your that you're doing and everybody contributes in their way and we're all we're all the same mission. It's all to bring the gula down the world to me in the world and everybody plays their part in their place. >> Okay. All right. Thank you. >> Thank you.