Rabbi Chaim Richman - The Torah of Transformation: A Universal Message for All Humanity

[Music] Shalom everyone hug Samara thank you so much Jim make your of our own for having us for initiating such a beautiful event the abundant wonderful organization subtle plug and it's very it's very apropos and it's very divinely ordained really to be exploring together Jews and Noahide Jews and non-jews to be exploring our our Co nurturing in our relationship with God and our command rules in the world and to be exploring that together specifically in the festival of Sukkot because Sukkot is a very interesting compelling interface between the Jewish world and the non-jewish world it's a very ancient idea that has many manifestations we see in the Prophet Zechariah the whole concept of the war of go the king of Magog nations coming against Jerusalem Jews and representing everything that's right and good in the world and the nations that side with Jerusalem that Stan Jerusalem that celebrate the festival of Sukkot and we know that in the time of the Holy Temple when there was a much clearer vision of reality it was much easier to have a relationship with God in a time of Holy Temple when the layers of concealments are removed we know that the off there was special offering that was brought in the Holy Temple over the festival of Sukkot of 70 bullocks that represent the 70 primordial nations of the world whole concept that Sukkot itself is some sort of a of a special time of spiritual enlightenment and we're for the nations of the world the idea is also reflected by our sages in the Talmud that is the concept of Sukkot is also kind of testing in the future world for sincerity of following God's Word because of all concept of what the commandment of a suka represents which is basically our relationship of God in this world of illusion we live in a world of illusion and the suka that we sit in now we had this unexpected rain in the past few nights and all and a few externa states some Sukkot blew away you know it's it's open to the elements and it lets the rain in it lets the elements in it so that shaking maybe in the wind and that represents also our our life in this world that even though we are kind of at the mercy as it were of the elements still the silica represents the embrace as it were of God their divine presence that were always in the in the presence of God in this world so Sukkot is a special time for us to be addressing the concept of like I say our Co nurturing as it were in the Torah I'm calling my the concept that I want to present to the Torah of transformation and I want to I want to use that word equally with with the concept of personal responsibility and I want to put forward to the idea that my opinion after a lifetime of study and during a lifetime of study trying to define really what it is that God wants from us what the religious experience is what the concept of life dedicated to godliness is and Torah I think that we are taught that the the Torah itself the commandments of the Torah for Jew and Gentile a respective Commandments are a sanctification of human existence by God but more than that the Torah is a celebration of our humanity it is God celebration of our humanity and hopefully of our success of our validation of humanity and creation I'll explain to you what I mean by that exactly beginning at their giving with a backstory there's this idea which is expressed by the Midrash a very enigmatic ancient idea that the rabbi's teach us that when God was ready to create the world originally he took counsel with the Angels as it were and this itself teaches us the concept of of God's own humility to counsel the angels he said let us make man and of course there's only one god who has no beginning and no end and no forms and no and no multiples but he took advise with the angels and there was a certain opinion that was expressed by certain angels this is what they're teaching relates certain pain that was expressed it's not a good idea to create man because he's going to fail and it's going and is going to be very big disappointments and it's not not worthwhile very famous idea and God did not agree with that at all and in fact he threw them out through the mount and those are the fallen angels as it were that we read about then a feeling same the feeling that the spies who entered into the land in partial ah from the Book of Numbers encounter the southern a feeling there what were they doing there in the Land of Israel at that time and they were there to inject this negativity into the mission of the spies which they succeeded in I mean the concept of these fallen angels is that because again it's a it's a metaphor not not necessarily literal at all we have to understand the poetic vehicle of our sages explaining to us a very deep psychological principle and that that is that there is hewn into the fabric of creation so you probably noticed a certain predisposition to negativity and that is the source and the basis for a lot of our own self-destruct mechanism our own predilection sometimes to failure there's a certain kind of very heavy negativity it's universal it's a universal delay and it comes according to this teaching from that opinion that was expressed that even though it was overruled and ultimately they were thrown out still it made an impression so just kind of put that on on the back burner it's a back story and it's very interesting to consider and we're getting back will be getting back to it but there is an idea here that this is something that we're up against every day all of us were up against a certain kind of pre-election towards I am really just not good enough and I don't belong here maybe this isn't even my place I mean I serve no purpose and all of those kind of dark thoughts come from this idea that the satyrs are trying to tell us that you because there is a certain balance in the delicate fabric of humanity that we that we have to overcome that God wants us to overcome it's just an interesting idea so I noticed Lavar own I noticed in one of the advertisements for this event and it was billed as an end of days messianic era in sanik age seminar so I wanted to ask what that even means end-of-days messianic age I understand the appeal and the attraction to the to the idea but I just thought I'd take this opportunity to say a couple of things as a prequel that are not politically correct I enjoy that and not so not so popular me but first of all you know there's a certain obsession with Messiah our obsession Jewish people's obsession is not the Messiah right our obsessions with Hashem only but of course we wait for the Messiah as the agent of the of the perfection of the human saga as an agent who is endowed with a special ability to unite humanity greatest educator the greatest orator the greatest Emancipator great communicator who ever lived but ultimately a human being who will die who will die like all human beings and no more a part of God than any of us which we all are very much so but a very very important figure and a promise that God gave the Masonic Redemption but the reason that I say this is so important to me to clarify that in the beginning in terms of the messy the end of the day is Masonic I don't know if we're in the end of days we're all exhausted like I said I mean we're so is that something that we want is it something that we're we hope it is or like we have some more time or what is that mean exactly what's the chronology there's a lot of issues here if I had the time and the permission I would try to redefine some of these terms I have a different perspective of them but anyway the problem is a lot of times people they see the Messiah as they're a private errand boy they see him as someone who is going to solve a lot of our problems for example in my line of work which is about the building of the temple there is a misconception that a lot of people have a lot of Jews have that the Messiah is going to arrive and rebuild the temple that is not correct as far as my I would say opinion as far as my knowledge is concerned it's absolutely not correct the job of the building of the temple is the job of a nation of Israel the Messiah doesn't do our work for us so this is a very very good example there's a certain kind of idea that people have that there's the default in other words yes it's true that if certain things are not accomplished by the nation as they should be then he will see to it that they will be done but but that's not his his job and this really ties in very strongly with my my idea at my topic entitled my presentation the tower of transformation because really the experience that we're looking for that God is looking for that we are that we are urged to understand is an experience of personal responsibility for our actions for everything that we do for our thoughts for our words for our deeds you know if by the concept of the end of days masonic aides we're talking about the fact that certain prophecies are being fulfilled before our eyes that certainly is true if we're talking about prophecies as was mentioned previously the Zechariah 8 in verse 23 about the ten men from the among the nation is coming and taking hold of the corner a Jew and saying can we go with you because we heard that God is with you that's certainly coming true in our time and just again as far as backstory is concerned something that I've married to experienced over the past thirty years you met J long they're very very accomplished scholar and really one of the leaders of the Noahide movement of America other people that are sitting in this audience today that began their spiritual journey many decades ago and that came through a period of leaving Christianity and coming or as God of Israel is no alliance and ultimately becoming Jews there is a tremendous spiritual revolution that's going on in the world that demonstrates a tremendous desire and love for Hashem that's really unparalleled I think in human history there's a verse Jeremiah chapter 16 and verse 19 to you nations will come from the ends of the earth and say it was all lies that our fathers inherited futility that has no purpose can a man make gods for himself they are not gods I was thinking about because I knew that the machinery was going to be available here I was thinking about making a little presentation just to share with you some stories of some of the people that that I've merited to to know and to be to be close to and to love over the decades and I decided at the end against it just because of in terms of in terms of their privacy for example I'm thinking of a man who was a Baptist preacher for over 50 years who began to study the Tanakh he began to ask serious questions that he couldn't find answers for who finally came to a certain conclusion and one day stood up in front of his entire congregation at over 70 years of age and said I lied to you my whole life it takes a tremendous amount of courage and tremendous amount of up holy audacity so there's definitely something going on unfortunately many Jewish people are not aware of the whole concept of our interface of our ISA process a reciprocal relationship with the non-jewish world many viewers are surprised to understand that there is a message and Universal message that the Torah has for all people the thinking of a lot of Jewish people is much more insular that it's like it's only for us it's something that you know it's only a Jewish thing which actually is a monstrous minimization of the Torah itself because if we believe that the Torah is the blueprint of creation and that it is actually the manifestation of Hashem is will in this world then obviously it has a message for the whole world we look at something like the prayers of Rosh Hashanah of the Jewish people in the muscle or the high holiday prayer book of the Jewish people all of our prayers in Rosh Hashanah are not about Israel they're not about the individual they're not about me they're all about this expressing this tremendous heartfelt desire that the entire world will be united in the service and recognition of the one true God that the people that are furthest away that there should be literally as Isaiah described is in chapter 2 when he talks about all of the nations streaming to come up to the mountain of Hashem in the mouth of that amount will be exalted above all the mountains and raised above all the hills these prophecies in these prayers are just are describing a family reunion in a family of man and that's what the ultimate redemption is really all about it's not a mystical it's not otherworldly it's not surreal it's not that we all become a higher life-form it's not that we live forever it is a revelation of the true nature of reality which is that God is one so no concept of the Noahide movement is that the Torah really consists of two covenants there is a covenant of 613 commandments that was given a Mount Sinai that Israel accepted upon themselves and there is a previous covenant that began with Adam how he shown as Jim pointed out this morning the history the development throughout the Torah and the oral tradition of these laws and that was ratified as it were in the time of Noah and those two spiritual paths are included in the Torah the Noahide laws southern law is really according to many opinions are an outline of many tens and tens of mitzvot that are available to the non-jewish world and indeed there are many levels of observance in the non-jewish world as well depending on the individual but the concept here that I'm trying to then find to express is that we are all connected by the Torah because the Torah is the manifestation of our most read so his will for for Humanity not shame himself connects us all Isaac also mentioned this morning the verse in Safari at chapter 3 and verse 9 I will change to the nation's this is a different translation and I'll change to the nation's to speak a pure language so that they will all proclaim the name of Hashem to serve him with the United resolve jihad so the question that I'd like to explore is when you talk about serving Hashem la vote is the word that's used there what does that mean what is the service of God what is it really entail and the real issue for all of us is what is the Torah experience what is it goal let's say I want to be close to Russia I want to be religious I try I really try not to use that word religious I always try to say that I don't believe in organized religion because religion the word religion it conveys a man-made idea you know mostly and the Jewish people are not a religion the Jewish people are people an arm its genetic we descend from Abraham Isaac and Jacob there are people that join that family that are part of that family through conversion but we are not a religion we are a people and why is that such an important distinction it's not an idea that everyone agrees with because it's possible to be religious anywhere you could like Hanukkah candles in Brooklyn I pity you if you do but you could you could be religious anywhere but the Torah doesn't really mention that other than in the context of it being a punishment and a curse the Torah was given to be lived in the land of Israel that is the relationship between the people and their land and their language and their way they have we have a way not a religion and the way is the way of the Torah but the question is what what is what is that I am supposed to be getting out of it what are what what am i doing people say I want to get to heaven I want to get to heaven I hear that all the time from people I want to get to heaven I can't wait to see heaven that's not really a Jewish idea she just don't really talked that way I want to get into heaven I can't say that I could care less if I get into heaven enough but in a way I could care less the second field of dreams wasn't it was like a mediocre movie but the book was better but in Field of Dreams was Joe asked ask Kevin Costner No yeah he asked him is this heaven and Kevin Costner said no it's Iowa right that's very very deep in terms of what I'm trying to say because this world is the world that Hashem loves this is the world that He created this is the world that he puts us in and this is the world that counts and as I say it is expressed 1:1 a paltry hour one paltry hour of Torah and the commandments and repentance in this world is worth more than all of a coming world this is the place to be we have there's many many examples of this whole idea that you know with our sages expressed the idea that when mo Sharabi no ascended to Mount Sinai he as it were stepped into heaven to receive the Torah the Angels again this is all metaphor it's not literal the angels were very angry as it were that he was going to bring the Torah down to humanity and they started to started to attack him and he was very frightened so they wanted to throw him out from heaven so so Moshe said to him help me and as I'm said and so that you answer them so much I thought and he said to the Angels okay it says the Torah honor your father and your mother do you have parents and other examples he gave which all demonstrated the fact that the Torah is designed for human beings it's not something to be kept in heaven so I should have said you spoke very well or another really beautiful example of this idea is you know in Persia etro after the Sinai revelation which was the unparalleled experience in human history when as Moshe later describes in the book of Deuteronomy the heavens open and we perceived on some unbelievable level that there's only one God we saw something it was a level of knowledge at a high rate Allah dot you showed to know it was something it was an knowledge not a belief a knowledge that we received in our DNA that there's only one God at this experience at Mount Sinai and every single man woman or child ascended to this tremendous level of prophecy and afterwards all of a sudden we find what I like to call the eleventh commandment in the end of partial Tetreault rush M says when you make an altar to me make it out of Earth and stones make it out of Earth and stones what is that what is that doing there the the contrast seems to be so extreme we just had this sets will be the mill pageantry of the most unspeakable sublime beauty that is a total transcendental of anything a human being can imagine and then God is saying but by the way when you come to serve me make an author of stones and earth the idea being again like I might think after seeing what I saw at Mount Sinai after experiencing this clarity of vision of the unity of God the unity of all things that the total the total comprehension of true reality how can I possibly serve such a living endless God how could I possibly find my place in this world how could I possibly think that that I can relate to that and the Sham says no you're wrong it makes for me an altar of Earth this this is what I love this earth is what I love this is the place that I want to be as you are come as is it come as you wanna party this is who you are this is this is what I love so the goal of our experience as Jews is definitely not to get into heaven let's say I mean really it is I mean like a good cross car sales but I'm trying to play both ends of it it is but yeah you know like all right whatever it's not the main thing the main thing is I mean this solo never dies the soul is indestructible so like I assume something will happen to it but I can't be bothered I can't be bothered because it is a total distraction and the whole world is distracted it's a distraction from from what our responsibility is okay so then what is the goal is the goal for example to amass knowledge there are many people who think that they have to become great scholars they have to learn everything they have to [Applause] you know they want to imbibe completely divine knowledge is that the goal so I think that our sages looked at this whole conundrum and they related to it in a very specific way there's a verse in proverbs chapter 3 and verse 6 it says in all your ways know him he will straighten your path and the sages of Israel in Natoma they call is a small verse they say there is a small verse which upon which the observance of the entire Torah is dependent that's what they say there's a small verse upon which the observance of the entire Torah is dependent what is that verse this one proverbs chapter 3 and verse 6 in all your ways know him he will straighten your path so what does it mean to know him is my is my question which basically is like asking what is the goal of life so after thinking about this for something like 50 years I would like to capsulize for a moment as as follows I can look at it this way the goal of life is to know a sham that means in my own life to reveal his presence to reveal this presence in the world to connect to him and to make his presence known in the world and then we have this idea which is probably the most pivotal concept most fundamental principle in the whole Torah to choose always to choose we are always having to choose between right and wrong now we're in and by choosing good getting back just for a moment so when I began with the idea of the Nick the negative energy that was infused into the universe by choosing good we ultimately validate our existence validate our humanity disprove the angels because again the way God looks at it the Torah are successful our successful embracing and going forward in this in this difficult world with the Torah is a celebration of our humanity because in everything that the Torah teaches man is at the center man is at the center of everything man is the most important thing there's a lot of stuff going on with people who say that the world is not going to last very long what an ALC say 12 years and all the people who say don't have children and can't sustain and all these different kind of things also very very negative and the truth is you know what in the Genesis menarche narrative man was created last and you could look at that like God almost forgot oh I had one more thing I almost forgot that schnook I have one more thing and in fact he didn't do very well after a few hours but the point is you could look at that and you could say like it was an afterthought man was an afterthought that's not what our satyrs teachers are say just teach us that God made this beautiful world perfect and then he brought man into it like a bridegroom carrying his bride over the threshold and he set him down and he said this is this is for you you're the gardener and as it were and so and so the towers advice really like this is this is one of the most beautiful definitions that we find of the bit of what the commandments are rabbinic 'ln and others explain the mitzvot are advice they're advice God can't tell us what to do but he's very strongly hoping and urging that we'll follow his advice the mitzvot are a way for us to connect to us geminus world and bring his light into the world again two different covenants within within the Torah do different paths for for the people of Israel for the descendants of Noah and we're and we have two things that get going against us one is this negativity that we're all battling which I mentioned which is not a small thing that it's not four not it's not it's not anecdotal that we are taught that there was this opinion that was expressed that if this is not gonna work that man is going to be a failure that's one problem that we have to overcome the other problem that we have to overcome is the fact that Hashem is presence in this world as you probably noticed is deliberately concealed get it as you noticed you really didn't notice because it's concealed jameth there at heart audience you already experienced is there a heart audience so a Shems presence is deliberately concealed so that we should specifically look for him and again the the concept of the holy temple is that when the temple stood the true nature of reality was revealed and it was much easier for a person to attempt to reach his or her potential as a human being because many of the layers of concealment were removed how did that work also is something that I want to discuss so in terms of this whole concept of of knowing Hashem knowing him in all of our ways who is the person really who are we what what are we what makes a person what is the makeup of a person here again our sages teach something very very deep I say just teach that really all of us on the deepest level want to bind with God as much as possible if that's the natural desire of a human being that's who we really are but the fact is that a human being is created from two opposing forces we have on the one hand the godly soul which is constantly trying to only be close to us and that's our spiritual essence then we have a physical side which is dense earthy earthbound and that like gravity pulls us downward and this is the tightrope that we walk all the time pulls us downward towards the physical Amissah Letitia areum and Hall explains that a person's spiritual nature is drawn to a sham like a magnet it's all we care about on the deepest level it's it's the deepest human need but there are layers and layers of physicality and materialism that block and weaken the pool and that the purpose of life we're dealing with cosmic themes here you're getting this right it was worth the admission right what do you mean cosmic themes here and that the purpose of life every day in every situation that we're in is to break through those layers dross instinct desire passion fear inadequacy in self-indulgence insecurity and all those layers cover up and block our our thirst our ability to grab on to the radiance the receptivity of the soul and our whole life's work is basically to learn to let us them in and saw the great ruff cook that's all taught he distilled from all of this whole idea about the called ruff F of that day who Noah Shem in all of your ways he taught that really what does this first really mean this verse in Proverbs this small verse upon which the whole Torah is dependent in all your ways no Hashem and I've cooked ah it means be in the moment with Hashem in every situation scientist M in it because he's actually revealing himself to you in everything that you're going through in every in every single situation okay so let's say that the tourist goal for all of us for every human being is to connect with Hashem and again that is that is this high hope and vision of a rectified world the world that the prophets foretold the world of the reunion of the family of man the world of what we express in the prayers of Rosh Hashanah and also alaimo which we seal our daily prayers were three times a day that was written by Joshua who brought us into the land of Israel is all about the the deepest desire that the entire world bend the knee before Hashem that the entire world recognizes that there's only one God so that so there was and here we spoke we speaking about the connection and the reciprocity of Israel and the nation's I just want to clarify before we continue I didn't ask to be the chosen people all right Israel's responsibility is to bring the world to the awareness of God and that's what it means when Hashem was preparing Israel to receive the Torah at Mount Sinai and in the Torah portion of utero he said you're going to be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation that was the intention the intention is that just as the priests in Israel the Kohanim serve a purpose for Israel of facilitating to be the conduits for the influx of divine blessing so - Israel is the are the Kohanim the priests for the entire world to bring them to a level of recognition and that's really what it means also to be the chosen people I'm very fond of repeating this that being the chosen people doesn't mean that we're the best pediatricians Wall Street brokers and film filmmakers part of it which we happen to be and that might just be coincidence but what it really means to be the chosen people is that God chose Israel throughout the saga of human existence to prove to the world that he exists and that hurts actually because and and that's what it's very simple of the equation when it boils down to because when you see a jewel in the world after everything that the Jewish people have been through which makes no sense whatsoever that we should be here then however you feel about them you have to admit something's going on here whether you like it or not and that is the the first level of what that means but it isn't the perk so people people think that we people think that that we call ourselves the chosen people or something and people think it's like a perk people think it's like being in the frequent-flyer Club I've got a platinum card and like you know you go in already of you were platinum flowers I just know that that you probably are I just know there's a room there which by the time I get to glimpse in there the doors already closing and I heard they have like triangle cut sandwiches in there and special drinks and all kinds of things I've always thought that the sandwiches that are cut on a triangle or a different quality I don't know what they have in there but that's not what it means to be the chosen people it's not a park it is it is ultimately the deepest responsibility I told you who's the Prophet that says that just you I have known amongst all the nations of the world and therefore I visit upon you your iniquities only you have I known among from all the families of the earth therefore I visit upon you all your iniquities over idea almost right so the so the the frequent flyer flyer Club sign is above the gates of Auschwitz that's our frequent flyer club because this is our responsibility to bring to the world on that happy note so just a second here okay so what I'm trying to I'm trying to express this is a concept it's a concept that I think is very very misunderstood it's a concept that the purpose of human existence the purpose of tour in our lives our goal is not about accruing points to get into heaven it's not about amassing knowledge it's about transforming into a different kind of person it's about taking all of the all of the foibles all of their character traits all of the flaws all of our personality that God gave us and elevating it to becoming a better person and this is I mentioned that free choice is a pivotal point and a fundamental concept in Intel it is another another idea you know I think people have a tremendous misunderstanding about people tend to think that when we when we do good deeds when we do the bits flow especially mitts vote especially the commandments that are between man and god people say yeah we're doing got a really big favor we're helping them out we're doing them something really special but really the Torah teaches us that everything that we do and the holy baal shem tov emphasized this in a very pithy statement he said whatever a person does he's doing to himself do you get angry at someone you really ungrate yourself if you're giving someone a kindness and charity it's really coming back to you and everything that we do really is about us because God really does not need anything from us it's a verse in Malachi I need a solution easy I haven't changed we don't change anything in Hashem we're not doing him any favors but everything in the tour is designed to give us an experience of removing layers of dross of the coming the person in potential that we can become because the goal really of Torah for our lives Jews non-jews all of us is to transform to transform into beings as it were of Lights there's a famous teaching there was a holy sage Rabbi Meir Maher itself the name Maher means light filled or Light Bearer or an illuminator Nabi Mayer's had a safer Torah had a Torah scroll and in his Torah Torah scroll it says in the in the Genesis narrative where it says that God get made garments for Adam and Eve he made them garments of skin and spelled with an iron cook no or but they say to say that in the taurus full of their of their colleague rubbing their who obviously they had tremendous esteem for it was written cook not or with an olive garments of lights it's the same word or and or or with an eye on the skin or with an Aleph is light what does that mean exactly because we know there's only one lesser etic text and there's no different there's no changes there's no there's no such thing as one Torah being written with a with a different letter and then word is oil with an iron unless it's specifically spell differently so with again where they're trying to express in a very in a very beautiful poetic vehicle is that this rabbi meir he succeeded in transforming because when Hashem made those garments it was to cover over the consequences of what happened in the Garden of Eden but we have a mayor he transformed those garments in his own personal life in his walk in everything that he did and everything that he spoke in the in the impression of his of his life that he made on people he was like the living in the Living End he was the epitome of those garments being transformed into garments of light and that's what it means that in his Torah scroll meaning in his life in the Torah spell of his light in a story of his life that he's writing his garments regardless of life so we don't change the Sham as it were we change ourselves but yet I want to ask you a question which is very dear to my heart because I've loaded a shofar on Rosh Hashanah some very I'm very attached to so far I could talk to you about that for 2,000 years why we blow the shofar and what and what the whole idea of a sound is but that isn't my topic there's a verse in Psalms chapter 47 and verse 6 very mysterious verse it states Allah Elohim the true uh I don't know the coach so far which means L owe him a sins in the true are in a shofar blasts Hashem write the name of Hashem the Lord in the sound of the shofar and what is it a versa meeting exactly everybody knows God has different names in the Torah right I've got a different names in the Torah how do we know how do we possibly relate to God who is ultimate truth who is the creator who is all true reality who has no beginning and no end who has no form how do we relate to God so the sages say I'll give you some advice the advice of how we relate to God is through his nameis because the Torah uses different names that ascribe different attributes to how he relates to his created universe and this is how we understand a little bit understand is how we have a slightest a grasp of of who Hashem is in our lives and we know for example a famous name Elohim consistently conveys the idea of strictness of harshness of judgments whereas the name that we don't pronounce as it's written that we reverentially refer to as literally as Hashem which means the name that name consistently conveys mercy and blessing kindness and love so this verse states Allah elohim be true that as it were elohim which is the name which is denoting strictness and harsh justice comes up the shofar in the true are in the blast but Hashem you'd have up hey in the sound of the shofar so what does that mean it's as if it's saying that we take this shofar and it goes in as over him and it comes out as a Shem and that's exactly what our sages say this first means they say it means that the sound of the shofar has the ability this is exactly what their teaching is and again it's so important to know how to approach the teachings of our sages because they are they are very poetic they are a poetic vehicle they are not literal and this is a lifetime of understanding how to approach the the device of the teachings of our sages in Madras so they say they say that's the sound of the shofar has the ability to make Hashem get up from the throne of Justice and sit down in the throne of mercy and that's what this verse is alluding to then it goes in as a token which is justice harshness but it comes out mitigated softer kinder loving as Hashem because he actually when he hears this so far he gets up and he changes his garb as it were he changes his identity he gets out of the chair of din and he sits in the chair of Mercy what in the world does that mean first of all he doesn't sit or stand and he doesn't and he doesn't the two attributes of his manifestation don't contradict each other and second of all nothing that we do could affect him nothing that we do quit affect him I mean ashamed oceany the verse says I have some haven't changed so what does it mean that he that went that when he hears the shofar and that's what this verse is alluding to he goes in one way it comes out the other goes in as didn't comes out as well how many men's Crested as kindness I said what it means is very beautiful has nothing to do with him it has to do with us it has to do with the effect that the sound of the shofar has on us it's the effect of the shofar on our spiritual essence is very very powerful for all the reasons that we are commanded to hear the shofar and refresh enough for all the cleansing spiritual root canal work whether that the sound of the shofar does on the hearts and that has a profound effect on a person and when a sham sees that when a sham sees our true resolve when he sees the feelings of true repentance and and our desire to come closer to him that the sound of the shofar evoked within us that is a factor in his judgment of us that that is what as it were has the ability to change the dim just as again as an example of how everything that we do is really designed to have an impact on ourselves but I want I want to share with you a kind of a mini lesson within this whole idea expression of what it is that I'm trying to say this is something that I've said many times but it's but if you've heard it before you take a bathroom break I think it's worth it I will here again I want to I want to illustrate this concept with one major idea this concept of how everything in Torah is designed to have a tremendous impact on our and ourselves on our will and our resolve on our on our spiritual composition and that that's the goal of life this this transformation is the best way that I can illustrate this is through the concept of the offerings in the Holy Temple the one slight small opening of understanding in a world which is so complex and so misunderstood there are they're Corbin notes the offerings of the whole example a subject that I deal with in terms of my life's work probably easily could be said the most misunderstood concept in the entire Torah the entire book of I Achra very difficult to understand in our mindset the whole concept of sacrifices in the Holy Temple it's something that we are always apologizing for and something which everybody assumes we are not going to be reinstating although clearly the Torah is very emphatic about the fact that we will be reinstating the offerings the animal sacrifices in the holy temple the major problem that that this whole thing stems from is beginning it at the beginning is a very very unfortunate translation of a Hebrew concept the word Corbin and what Corbin of course me it comes from ku Frazier vet which means close and the whole idea of bringing an offering in the Holy Temple is that if something about it is supposed to bring a person to become more intimately involved intimately connected to God in a deeper relationship and the word sacrifice is a horrible horrible mistranslation it should never be used I never used that word only use the word offering sacrifice is horrible because sacrifice means loss deprivation giving something up and that has nothing whatsoever to do with what's supposed to happen when a person brings an offering to the altar in the Holy Temple it's supposed to somehow and say I didn't say no how yet or if or at all that I supposed to bring us somehow into a closer relationship so this whole thing really has to be understood what is that all about what about bringing an animal to the altar in the holy temple brings a person closer to God maybe in those days more people it was an agrarian society people raised animals and you become attached to an animal I know I have a cat that didn't come home and I was just beside myself like I cannot get a laugh out of these people general now you've experienced this alright anyway so I'm saying it could be that if you raise an animal then you become very connected to that to that animal but on the other hand people who also didn't did not at that time also raise animals came to the temple and purchased one so it's not that exactly now a lot of people have this understanding also especially in the non-jewish world that the reason that we have to bring sacrifices in the Holy Temple is because otherwise we are in this hollow sling of not being forgiven because we are so sinful we are born in sin we're gonna die in sin sin sin sin sin sin total obsession with sin it's not a Jewish outlook whatsoever and in fact again if I had time and permission I would like to redefine what sin means in a Jewish mindset altogether but anything does this idea that we have to bring armed forces we have to have atonement from sin and that also is not correct that's not why we have to rebuild the whole itself but first for the reason that we have to rebuild the whole the temple is because God said so and the reason that we want to rebuild the holy temple is the same reason that we want to keep Shabbat or keep kosher weird sitsit because God said about Suleiman shut down deep it's a calm it's one of the 613 commandments uma old not only that but there are another two hundred and two commandments that are completely dependent on it so that already says something about the balance of how things are supposed to be and again the temple is a whole world everything that goes on there is designed to to elevate mankind completely mankind again who is in totally in the center of creation and everything that goes on there works on many many levels but but regarding this specific idea you know the vast minority of offerings that are brought in the holy temple have anything to do with soon there are so many offerings that have on the holy temple that are expressions of a personal commitment that are that are that are acts of extra devotion that are for thanked thankfulness for so many different purposes and the minority of offerings that were brought in the holy temple had anything to do with sin and even those that were if that offering was not accompanied by a sincere heartfelt thought of repentance it was completely invalid it's the repentance that makes the offering work on whatever level it does work it being the animal man balanced which is what I want to discuss the repentance is is the main ingredients and not only that you can only bring a sin offering for an unintentional sin for a sin that was committed on purpose you can't even bring an offering but it has to do with correcting spiritual damage that was done even by the fact that something was committed unintentionally so that's one thing this this other otherworldly viewpoint about about the necessity of an offering as far as as far as soon as concerned but but again not only is it not for intentional scene and not only is it has to be accompanied by a sincere thought of repentance what we find instances in the teller for example where the half shekel that was given as a contribution to the holy temple by every Israelite specifically the verse tells us this was an atonement for the Soul and it wasn't that there was no offering whatsoever there was no blood also meal offering is an atonement also when you have for example the story of the Book of Jonah the whole population of Nineveh a non-jewish population that was condemned to death repented and God rescinded his decree and there was no offering brought whatsoever in that case but I digress the idea is people also think that bringing and offering it in the Holy Temple has to do with a vicarious experience of death that's for example the position of the RAM bond that I should be thinking really maybe that should be me and there is something to that and to some level because this very very interesting idea it's also expressed amazing Jim you mentioned earlier this morning about schimscheimer father earth he also makes a another very amazing observation on the world of the carbonyls in the Holy Temple he points out that in the entire book of AI Achra from cover to cover the Book of Leviticus which is the heart of the Torah it's called by our sages the heart of the Torah is two in front two in back its the center it's the manual of ministering to the Shekinah as it were how to bring blessing into the world through the service in the holy temple in the entire book of iiquor uh do you know that the name Elohim never appears even once it's unbelievable every single time the offerings are mentioned it's always exclusively the name of Hashem the name spelled yud hey and above and hey which consistently constantly conveys mercy love rivers of compassion total love so that irate already takes away from this idea that many non-jews have about the idea of bringing offerings in holy temple which is that God is this very bloodthirsty Old Testament deity very angry who's like I'm gonna kill you but if you slaughter me up an animal and I see it's blood and the veins on the altar maybe I'll spare you a lot of people have this idea that's that's what goes on in the Holy Temple that God is gonna kill us but if we bring in an animal then he won't because he's very angry and because we're so sinful since instance and said and everything like that but that's not it something something's absolutely wrong about that again because of this incredible idea that the book of ru crow does not not even one time include the name I'll okay so that already is a signal you have to read the signals a signal is that's something about bringing an offering to the altar in the holy temple conveys broadcasts to us a message from a Shem of love and compassion there is no anger there's no judgment whatsoever so it's not at all that idea again the mystery lies in this balance itself between what it is that we're bringing to your elder because let's face it it's 2019 let's say there's ratha shame we bring the tent we build a temple immediately right now I'm I don't have an animal to bring to the to the holy temple I didn't raise an animal I don't feel I'm gonna be giving anything up doesn't mean anything to me if the whole idea of sacrifice is deprivation and loss and that I have to give something up for God and if the holy temple is built right now what do I bring to the altar which I of course would never do funds fund I can't possibly live without this but the point is if the whole idea is giving something up that I can't possibly live without this is what I would have to bring but that's not it that's not it either so here's here's the punchline Toby you're leaving you're not gonna hear this this is the most important thing you've ever heard in your life you'll have to get it later all right one more mystery on this this whole conundrum there's an expression that's use you mentioned it you mentioned it this morning there's an expression that's used regarding many of the offerings in the Holy Temple it's an expression that's inexplicable the Torah calls these offerings really for a pleasing aroma what in the world does that mean God loves the smell of burning meats as opposed to like eggplant parmesan he's a he's a meat eater what does that mean even really o'clock it's a it's a sweet savor what is that well first puts it very beautiful he's not the only one who expresses but he expresses it in the most elusive language that I've ever seen he says the most beautiful thing in the world and this is where I'm going you have to really open up your heart in the deepest way this is one of the most important things I think that's we could have possibly understand about the service in the holy temple as I mentioned earlier a person is a composite of different forces you know there are angels God created angels they have no they have no eight Sahara you have no evil inclination they received no reward for their good deeds because they have no choice right and God created the animal worlds the animal world has no has no punishment for for destruction because the the animal world has no exit oh no good inclination the animal world is based on an instinct now man he spends his whole life walking this tightrope it's a difficult life we're always walking in between being pulled up towards a spiritual fulfilment and being pulled down by the gravity of our base nature because we have something in common with the animal world and that is we have the nefesh of 'him it's the animal soul instinct we have that as well and again this is why the Torah is always emphasizing to us our ability our necessity our mandate to choose all the time everything is about a choice so what happens is many times in life we get very very mixed up we get we get so pulled down into this quagmire of confusion because of the different voices that we have because I don't know who I am what is the I Who am I and we get we get very confused that of course is the whole idea of sin in the Jewish mindset it's okay so mistaken identity it's misdirected energy its temporary insanity is all it is I missed the mark but unfortunately because of this unique admixture something happens and I and I lose my balance and the animals soul within me rises up in a disproportionate manner and this is the source of my confusion so the first rights and when a person goes through this incredibly traumatic visceral experience in the Holy Temple [Music] and brings the animal to the to the altar and thinks about all of this and puts his head his hands on the animal's head and thinks about where he's been and how he's used his energy and am i validating the human experience or not what about what if those angels said bill he'll never make it and am i a dumb and don't forget where this is taking place by the place of the altar which is where Adam was created from and Here I am his grandson I'm standing here Oh like have I validated being an atom or not or have I messed it up and I'm thinking about all these things and I'm also remembering Wow if he were to look at me through the eyes of hello Kim maybe that really should be me but that's not the case at all because he's waiting and waiting and waiting for me to become a human being for me to realize all of this some of her sites a beautiful process is going on within this person what's going on is that the the godly soul is ascending it's a shifting he calls it a sifting the godly soul was ascending and there and then and the nether Bahamut the animal base instinct Drive soul is rescinding to its proper level and that is the sweet savour fashion sense senses he says oh he's becoming a human being again because of course the Torah uses metaphor for us to have a better understanding of God so it stucks about the right hand of God and it talks about the eyes of God you know that this is all just poetry because God has no has no physical form whatsoever and the sense of smell in Torah is always used to convey spiritual concepts so the idea is that God senses that this person is beginning to realign once again and to refocus on his tarnished sullied humanity and realizing the error of his ways that he has to become a person that's one of the most beautiful examples of what it is that I've been trying to say for the past 50 minutes as far as the ability that we have to transform into something else and that's the goal of the Torah there's a very very beautiful idea that the whole reason I'll teach is based on capitalistic sources you have to open up your heart and to persuade this is one of the most important ideas where does the soul come from the great sages teach that the soul of a person is taken from underneath the throne of glory that's where we come from from underneath the throne of glory and then we go through all the things that we go through in this world all the travail all the difficulty all the challenges of having to make the right choices and of course you could ask if that's where we come from in the first place then why did we have to go through this we were already there so close to a Shem why do we have to go through this in the first place all this suffering any answer is a very beautiful thing in a very specific deok in a very specific analysis of the exact language of this statement that our sages made it yes a person has taken me Tophet from underneath the throne of glory but after living in this world and going through all of the things that we have to go through and hopefully making the right decisions and shining forth with with our validation of creation over the over the voices of negativity then when the soul is returned it's no longer meet ah hot it's no longer under the throne of glory it's Mool it's opposite the throne of glory in other words the idea is of yes again of the official Alcott shelter omits what Obama's Andy Kaufman Lima bah that one hour of Torah in this world is worth more than all of the coming world that through living our life as human beings as human beings in this world that Hashem created for us that he loves the soul becomes elevated and and it is even higher than it was previously even though always taken from such a high place because of our ability to prove as it were the validity of the human experience there's a is a very beautiful idea that I want to share with you psalms 149 to second second to the last song Psalm 149 says hallelujah praise Hashem she rule a Shem share Kadosh sing out to the Lord a new song to unite all be Kalka see them his praises in the is in the congregation of the righteous it's very beautiful commentary here by the Catherine hora which was read Arwen hakuren of opt when a second-generation student of the Baal Shem Tov writes something very revolutionary here on this chapter which is associated with the Messianic era the end times Messianic era that's you this chapter is actually associated with those times he explains as follows what is this all about sing out to a Shem a new song he says sing Alto Shaam a new song on the faith that we will merit to in the future rectified world when Hashem's name will be completes so sing out to him this new song on for the fact that in the future when a sham renews the world this song will be sung Psalm 149 this new song will be sung when Hashem renews the world why because at that time they will no longer say al-shahid shoo at Ala Moana lo llamó toshi-low navaja Shu Hui caja alum they will no longer say at that time it would have been better not to create man which right now he says is the mainstay of existence he says right now the cornerstone of existence is this negativity that this voice that we all that we all reverberate and resonate from that it would have been better not to create man time the new song will be sung that will prove that it was a good idea to create man after all and then he goes on to say something very amazing he says but what does it mean his praise should be in the congregation of the righteous he says perish zeppeli become this is dependent on you should too he you kaha Kassadin you should be that congregation of the righteous shall be him who told you never you should be the very people about about whom who proved that it was a good idea to create man the Lama Tom Tina let kids why should you wait until the end of time a suit shuva venue Casa de miedo Miata Shula autoshow Kadosh he says don't wait for the messianic what was it Andy's era sing this song right now you be the ones to prove that it was a good idea to create man you be the ones to prove it right now I'll conclude with this beautiful story of abortion Tov Russian Tony had a student who wanted to see Elijah the Prophet as was well known that the Baal Shem Tov used to see Elijah the Prophet at will so there was a student who wanted to see a Leo nfe who came to his reverie and said earlier I really am dying to see you Leo NIV I want to see him just like you see him Shem Tov's said I'll tell you what to do I'll give you I'll give you a plan how you could see Elijah the prophet you know Elijah the Prophet is a serious character who populates our dreams who never died who is the forerunner of the Messiah and the harbinger of the Messianic Redemption and makes his appearance two very special people throughout the ages so this is what you should do and he saw because he saw he saw things that he had a he had a vision he says there's a certain Widow who lives on the edge of the forest all by herself in terrible poverty and she has a lot of kids and she she has a very hard life I want you to get together a lot of boxes of children's clothes of all ages and food and all sorts of things and hire a wagon and I want you to go there for Rosh Hashanah I make up some sort of a subterfuge that your wagon broke down because she lives you know all these stores or even people who live by themselves in the middle of the Ukraine and a forest somewhere so he said make up some sort of subterfuge and say that your wagon broke down and asked her if she'll let you in and you could spend the holiday with her family so this fellow is very driven to see Elijah the Prophet so he does all of this he spends a lot of money he buys all of these clothes and goodies and things for kids and food and he hires a wagon and he goes out there and there's a couple of hours an hour before Rosh Hashanah and he parks some where his wagon and it comes to them well I forgot something I almost ruined the story and those shelters said but before you go in before you knock on the door I listen at the door before you knock on the door so he he does all that goes up to the door any listeners and he has a terrible thing he hears all the kids crying they have nothing to eat how could they have rosh hashanah this way they have nothing and they're so sad and then he knocks at the door and he's got all this stuff and he says i'm so sorry but i wagon broke down I have nowhere to be for the holiday could I please come in so he comes in and he has all these things that he gives out to the kids and they have this wonderful hug and they had kids all have new clothes they have good filter fish and everything they have everything that they could possibly need and the guy is like so nervous the whole time where is Elijah the Prophet like you can't even enjoy the festival because he knows that at any moment he's going to see a live to the product as the baal shem tov promised him so he's waiting the whole time where is elijah the prophet anyway two days of rushes one of those Varney I mean family had a wonderful time he really made their own tow because he brought them all her needs and ours like that but even the see Elijah's prophets is very disappointed of course he wanted his money back so he he never saw lights as profit so he goes back to the Baal Shem Tov and brought hunters as how is your official and he says it was wonderful but there I didn't see a lot to the Prophet ball Center says really I can't understand it did exactly what I told you to do he says yeah she says there's only one thing to do you have to do the same thing again exactly for Yom Kippur ten days later again buy all these boxes pack them with it all good food and everything like that and go there Erev Yom Kippur in time for the meal before the fast starts and once again before you go in listen at the door before you knock so it does it again and [Music] he goes up to the door and again he's terrible wailing and crying and the kids are saying how we gonna how we got a fast tomorrow we haven't eaten already for a week how we can how are we gonna fast we have nothing and he hears the mother saying to the kids don't you remember last week on the eve of Rosh Hashanah we were in the same situation and Elijah the Prophet came then he knocked on the door he came and then he understood in other words like someone once said be the change that you want to see in this world what the Baal Shem Tov was teaching him was what is this you want to see live to the Prophet what do you what do you are tourists you're on vacation if you want to see a Lodge of the Prophet then be then take the job and be allowed to the proper than to what has to be done in this world that's the tour of transformation cut Samir cut the Amato ha ha [Music]