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Ep. 34: Every Yid is an Influencer with Rabbi Levi New
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In this episode, Rabbi Levi New, a Shliach in Montreal, Canada, discusses the unique initiative at his active Chabad House (MTC), L’chaim, which empowers community members to take part in Mivtzoyim. He explores the Rebbe’s vision, that every Yid is a shliach of Yiddishkeit regardless of official title or role, and how this outlook transformed our generation's relationship with Yiddishkeit.
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Auto-generated transcript. Not time-synced to the video.
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.
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>> 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
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What is the story behind each of these
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>> 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.