Transcript
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[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]