Transcript
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Heat. Heat.
Shalom everybody. Welcome back to the
midash. Welcome home to Torah. We are in
para's balak. As you all know, we use
the clear as the basis for our
discussion. It's text heavily
textorientoriented this year. I'm going
to cut through some of it and try to sum
things up, but we want to walk away with
some of some Hebrew. The Hebrew is
really where the the juice where the
meat and potatoes are. And uh you can
get the original Hebrew sheets online.
Look down below in the link on the
YouTube um description box. And if
you're interested in receiving the
English source sheets, you can send me
an email. I'd be happy to add you to the
list.
So here we are in parases balac and the
clear this is actually the safer called
ear goreim written by schlomit
and we're on page ket
and he begins with a medish that balak
saw the yal benipur
what did he see
also
all that Israel had done to the Amorites
now the truth Truth is all you have to
do is go back to the end of last week's
para and you see what took place in the
war with
okay so that must be it however what the
clear card is going to point out in this
medish what happens mozzav
which we're going to find out later is
I'm going to use the word on a lower
level than midian Now, it could mean
we'll find out when we get to there, but
Moav is bitter enemies with Midian. So,
why would they approach Midian? So,
simple shot would be to ga gather or
garner an ally. Um, the truth is in the
back round it was Midian who was
partially responsible for the sale of
Yseph. So Mauv wanted to encourage
Midian to come and join by saying look
you they're going to they're going to
kill you. You might as well join us and
then we have a standing chance. If you
look at Rashi
Rashi mentions and I I it's not
highlighted but it's underlined and it's
it's um yeah it's underlined and bolded.
I mean it's it's large font.
So the Rashi mentions, yeah, okay, so
they spoke to the elders of Midian, but
weren't they always, you know, hating
each other? Weren't they bitter enemies?
Like it says in Genesis 36:35,
um, who defeated Midian in the field of
Moab, meaning they had a battle.
Um, we're going to come across that late
later. Now, what did Moab see to take
counsel with Midian? And by the way,
this is also in source number two with
Midash Rabba Midbar Rabba chapter 20
paragraph 4. Since they saw that Israel
was supernally victorious in their
battles, right? Halvi that the veil
should be taken off our enemies and they
should see the you know I guess you can
always justify it that the Jews have you
know Israel has some kind of you know
monopoly on high techch you know it's
really because it's really supernatural
that we're able to create defensive
mechanisms and even um what's the word
to get in the right um intelligence in
order to pursue and to to um to do what
we need to do in the battlefield against
our enemies. So they said you know the
leader that being Moshe was raised in
Midian. So from the age of about 20
until about 80 for approximately 60
years he had left Egypt. Most of that
time he spent in Midian. And so they
wanted to know what was his character.
What does it mean his mida his what were
his strength? what are his weaknesses?
That is always part of the intelligence,
right? Um apparatus. You need to know
who your enemy is. So they they went
there. Mov approached Midian to ask what
is his character? And they know what
they told him that the strength of this
person is in his mouth. Now between you,
me, and the lampost, we all know that
Moses had a speech impediment. How can
someone's who has a speech impediment be
claimed? How can any objective person
say that his strength is in his mouth?
Well, I'm going to get to that shortly.
But what happens? So, what do they come
up with now? They know his strength and
they're going to say, "You know what
we're going to do? We're going to find
someone who also has strength in his
mouth. I.e. that being bum, a wizard." a
wizard. It might be a nice word, but he
was a, you know, he was a manuvo. He was
a disgusting person, but nevertheless,
he had the ability to bless or curse
people.
Okay, so let's just read quickly in
Hebrew. I know I just mentioned that
we're going to try to avoid some of that
just to save time, but maravidian.
What exactly did Moab see that they were
going to willing to take some kind of
advice from Midian?
Because when they saw Israel acting in a
way victorious in such a way that is not
normal, it's supernatural.
Amu, what did they say?
This leader of the Jewish people, he
grew up in Midian.
So what did he ask?
What is his character traits? What are
his strengths? What are his weaknesses?
His power is only in his mouth. That's
where his greatest power is. Amrew. So
they said
we're also going to get somebody just
like that who has the power in his
mouth. Now let's go on to what the clar
has to say.
He says, I already discussed this in
parmos that what
the Jewish people are called firstborn
to Hashem. There's a p in Exodus 4:22.
You can find this on the source sheets.
Um, Benur Israel, my child, my firstborn
Israel. That's what God calls us. He
tells Moses, "Go tell Pharaoh, let my
people go, my firstborn Israel." That is
what Israel is called.
Now, what is it about a Bakur in terms
of yusha in terms of inheritance? What
do we know? That the firstborn gets
>> double portion. Now, what was the brah
that was given to Asaf? Whatever brah
was given to Asaf, we the Jewish people
will get a second portion, a double
portion.
we'll get double whatever he gets. And
it's unbelievable because when we think
of what he got, it's very sad and not a
great life. But in Exodus 27 verse 40,
it says
by your sword you will live. Can you
imagine that's a well that means your
whole life is spent fighting and death.
Guess what? The Jewish people got a
double
portion of a sword. But what kind of
sword? Wait till you hear with this.
With this sword that we were given, we
were given two swords.
And with that, with that double sword,
we will be victorious. We will overcome
the nations. And what is this double I'm
gonna actually change it a double-edged
sword. Okay, we're gonna say it's a
double-edged sword. Not really. It's
we're gonna call two swords for the
moment. That is tora and
both prayer and learning Torah or
keeping Torah. Both of them are called.
They're both called a sword. Where do
you see Torah called a sword? In Song of
Songs 3:8, it says,
That verse is talking about the
Sanhedrin. That verse is talking about
Diane, people who are sitting in
judgment and each man has a sword on his
thigh by his thigh. And so that is
talking about Torah and Dar in Sanhedrin
page 7bik
that this verse is referring to the
Torah. That's what it's speaking about
in song of songs. So Torah is called
that's one that we receive. What about
the word? How is because we said that
toil are our sword or our double-edged
sword.
So in Genesis chapter 48 verse 22 when
Yakov is giving the blessings to the
children he saysashi
right with my sword and my bow I
overcame and beat the um the Amorites
I'll read the verse he's actually
telling the children of Yseph I have
given you one portion over your
brothers,
which I took from the hand of the
Amorites with my sword and my bow. Okay,
here's a good question. Did Yakov really
approve
of Shim and Ley's behavior that he's
going to take responsibility and say, "I
wiped out. It was me all along." That's
what it sounds like.
So basically the idea is he was not
exactly happy with it but he prayed for
their success and that's what the word
and kashi represent the sword and the
uh the sword and the bow and you can see
that in rashi as well.
Okay. So, tila could be also referred to
as and Rashi says that is a lush of
tfila
and
it says in Psalms 149 verse 6 and this
is going to be I'm going to say one of
the main verses right lofty praises in
their throat and a double-edged sword in
their hand.
Now the word P is like the word for
times, the amount of times. So it's pne
means two times. But a double-edged
sword is p. It's two mouths because the
word p is plural. Pote. The actual sword
has two, right? It's not like a
one-edged sword, but it's a double-edged
sword. It's sharp on both sides. That's
has two faces, has two mouths, so to
speak. And that's what it's called.
What do the Jews have? The Jews have a
double-edged sword in their hands.
That's their weapon. And what is the
next three words? It's like, whoa,
listen to this.
Yes. Torah and is the way we are going
to be victorious and take our vengeance
out for all of the criminal acts that
have been um perpetrated against us.
I'm sure you're aware of this that
Torah, what are we doing right now?
Someone's talking. But whenas are
learning, they're talking to each other.
They're conversing. Torah is dependent
on the mouth. And so is to feel. How is
to feel dependent on the mouth? It says
in in um Proverbs 145 21,
it says, "My mouth will speak praise of
Hashem and all flesh will bless him.
Bless his holy name forever and ever.
P. So the the the P the mouth P is
dependent right on to feel is dependent
on the mouth. I think that's a
no-brainer, right? We all know that when
Jews come together to pray, our lips are
moving. Remember,
right? Ellie saw her and he says, "I
don't something something weird's going
on here, right? Something unusual is
going. I think maybe she's drunk. She's
moving her l her lips, but I don't hear
anything, right? Because nobody's
supposed to hear except between you and
God. But it depends on the mouth.
What about Torah? So regarding to fill
it look in Exodus 13:9 it says
this idea that you're going to put on
these tophosies
on your arm and between your eyes on
your head it's going to be in order that
the Torah of God will be in your mouth.
This is the that is double-sided meaning
two mouths
and we know that it's called both toil
and Torah and this is clear now similar
the actual Torah actually says can you
believe it that if a man has two wives
now we're talking way back must be over
a thousand years ago or maybe more
recently in the sparty world but if a
man had two wives
and one he loved and one he hated and
the firstborn what we to say a firstborn
gets a double portion imagine the hated
wife has the firstborn the Torah
commands us I'll tell you where I'm not
mistaken in Deuteronomy 21:15 if a man
has two wives one is loved one is hated
what does he have to do he's to make
sure that the firstborn receives the
double portion even though he's from the
hated wife now we had this idea that God
also keeps the Torah that the Torah for
some reason it emanates from him and it
comes from his mind but he is also
it's you know as if to say he's
following the Torah and the Torah was
written as well for him in certain ways
and there's like many levels of meaning
can you imagine for a second because God
is also called an ish now ish can be ter
translated as man which God obviously is
not or it can mean a master and we say
every mornings. He's ish,
right? Where do we see that? Is we see
that? Exodus 15:3. He's a master of war.
So, he can be an ish and he can have two
wives. Now, what I'm about to tell you
will like you have to be sitting down.
He has two wives. One of these wives is
Israel. That's good. Great. But who's
the other wife? The nations. Now, I
would have thought the one he loves is
Israel. and the one that he hates would
be the non-Jews. And that all might be
true, but that's not what we're going to
look at. We're gonna actually say like
this, that the nations, they all love
each other. Oh yeah. When it comes
against the Jews, they'll drop their
emnity against each other. They all have
something in common. When it comes to
the Jews, we're very different. We're
very unique. We're very outside the box.
And they hate us for that. They hate us
for that. And we're going to see that
right now.
So this idea of Hashem having two wives,
we're on the top left well of pageos
Israel. Who are these two wives that God
has? The nations and the Jewish people.
We have to prove that the nations are
called wives or women and Israel is
called wives or women. And once we
establish that, we'll go to the next
stage. So we have this statement that
God has like as if he has two wives that
being the nations in Israel and the
nations are compared to women. Where do
we find that? Now this is very
interesting in Shirim
chapter 2:7 Song of Songs. God says
when you read this verse, you actually
think that he's talking to and about the
Jewish people. The truth is there are
three great oaths that the Jewish people
took and the nations took and we should
be bound to them, right? That we're not
going to make aliyah in mass that we're
not going to, let's say, were subjected
in galut by the non-Jews and we're not
going to rebel against them. But there
was an important part of this oath given
to the nations. The nations had to swear
that they would not overly persecute the
Jews. You know what that means? They
violated their part of the oath. And
therefore, in a certain sense, we may
not be obligated in our part of the
oath. But let's leave it for now. Right
now, we're just focusing on the idea
that this was a an oath to the nations.
And that's what Rashi says. That's what
everyone seems to say that this is
talking about the nations.
Kazal saying
page 111a.
So it talks about
but it's talking about the nations alim.
Now I'm not saying that all non-Jews are
but I think in general right they're not
righteous. Of course, there are
brahashem, you have Ruth, and you have
so many um examples through history of
people who excelled in keeping the seven
no laws. Ruth actually converted, but
before she converted, she was a
righteous Noah.
So, we're obviously not talking about
righteous Noahites. But in general, what
the UMos are called? They're called
Rashim. And where do we see this? In
Jeremiah 51:30,
it says over there um that their might
failed. They had become like women. Now,
this is talking about this army in
Babylonia in Babylon. So, we're talking
about non-Jewish warriors who lost their
strength like women. So, there's a
comparison of rashy to like women. Now,
we're only talking about strength,
physical strength. Obviously, we're not
talking about in any other. Now, I
actually think that women are stronger.
I remember Carol Bernett, she tried to
explain what it was like to give birth.
So, I don't think a man would even, you
know what I mean? I think that the
muscle she gave was like pulling your
top lip over your the back of your
skull. But I think that women are very
strong in certain ways, okay? Especially
when it comes to carrying for nine
months a baby and giving birth, you
know, physically. But they have a
certain stamina that a lot of men just
don't have. Anyway, go on.
So, we established that the non-Jews can
be called nashim. What about the Jews?
So, very interestingly in Isaiah 54:E5
that your master, your husband has made
you. Right? Master and husband are the
same word. It's talking about Hashem.
Hashem made the Jewish people. He made
us. That's what Isaiah is speaking
about. Now getting back to our subject
which is the loved wife.
This is the nations. So it doesn't mean
the wife that is loved by the husband.
It just means the wife that is loved
i.e. by all the other nations. All the
other nations they love each other.
Why?
Right? They I'm not going to say they
stand for nothing, but again, when you
compare them to the Jews, we're the
hated ones. We're the persecuted ones.
And when someone comes before the basin
to convert, one of the questions the
basin will ask, "Are you really sure you
want to join this persecuted people?"
Right? Are you really sure? Okay. So,
they have this affinity for each other.
Whereas the hated wife
that when it comes to the they hate the
Jews. Why?
That we separate ourselves from their
food and their drink. We cannot sit and
and normally eat with them unless number
one it's kosher, right? And then what
makes it kosher? Part of it is who
cooked it? Who made it? It has to be
cooked by a Jew or a Jew's mashiach in
the kitchen and make sure everything was
was done correctly in terms of the flame
and whatnot. So what it really means the
reason we don't drink their wine, not
talking about a votar wine, I'm just
talking about stamine and uh we don't
eat their food is so that we don't come
to marry them. That's the real China.
That's the real problem they have with
us, right? I mean just thinking back to
the Nuremberg laws, right? The truth is
we're not allowed to marry non-Jews.
That's a Jewish law. And yet what
happens
that uh we were doing intermarriage in
Germany in the 18 mid 1800s it was on
the rise. Intermarriage on the rise and
the Germans themselves made a rule that
they can't marry us. Right? We were
violating our own laws. But this is
something that um that irks I'm not sure
that's it's just using a nice word. It
really perturbs the the non-Jews that we
have separated ourselves. We won't eat
and drink with them. As it says, where
did the word Sinai why is Mount Si
called Sinai? And so in Gomorrah
Shabas on 89b
it says
that that's where hatred, see the words
and are related. That's where hatred
entered the world. We accepted the Torah
and they did not. That is where I think
every non-Jewish soul is like kicking
themselves. Why didn't I take the Torah?
And they even developed religions where
they're trying to justify that they're
the chosen ones after all, right?
because they regret. They ultimately
will regret and if they don't now, they
will regret not having accepted the
Torah. That's why the the converts are
in such good shape. They're mamish u to
be uh applauded and lauded. Okay, we're
not seeking them, but when they come to
us um you know, we we make it uh we have
to love them. Okay,
so the next thing is
What happens when the the firstborn is
to the hated one? We're talking about
the Jewish people.
So the son who's the firstborn is the
firstborn to the hated one. That's the
Jewish people. And that's why God says
he says it. We can't mix it up. You
know, you're not going to It says in
Exodus 4 22
Israel, my son is the firstborn called
Israel.
We all know it's well known it's
recognized that the firstborn is given a
double portion pim meaning
literally two mouths mish by what we
said before in psalms 149:6
that the Jewish people they have a
double sword in their hand
that's two faces or two mouths
What are these two mouths? The Torah and
which is called P which is called mouth
and they're also called a sword. This
idea
against that in other words as given
that blessing by your sword you will
live and we were given it twice. By the
sword double sword we will live. Torah
and
it's through these two swords that the
Jewish people will be victorious.
Now, interestingly enough, I never
thought about it like this, but we all
know the famous statement that Yitsak
made when Yakov came to see him. Hakov,
this voice is the voice of Yakov. Why is
Cole said twice? Voice. This voice is
the voice of Yakov. I'm sure it could
have been said with one time co but was
used twice.
And at the time that Yakov is, it's
interesting that word is twittering, you
know, tweeting, chirping. I think
chirping, chirping. And I think today's
horns are used the same. to chirp right
when you hit a horn. Um when Yakov is
chirping with his voice i.e. Torah and a
show let that the hands of Asav have no
power over Yakov.
The kafalash and
the actual according to the double
expression of voice hints to
which are
now he's going to add a new twist we all
know that there are three pillars upon
which the world stands to a vod and
gassadim
is the next topic okay we're going to
call it sodaka
And as well if the Jewish people do that
third pillar right we have Torah the
Voda is prayer as well as sedaka charity
this is also dependent on the voice how
is charity dependent on the voice so we
know there's a gor that says when you
give a pr when you give a coin no matter
how small the coin is you will be
blessed with six blessings
But if you console Mess the person who
is in need of your charity, you get an
additional 11.
By the way, you'll find that it's
inramed
at the bottom of source 22. It mentions
if you look in Isaiah chapter 58 verses
7-9
that's just for giving charity you'll
count them there are six blessings and
then if you go to verses 10 11 and 12
and you count those blessings you'll see
there's an additional 11 but it
specifically says if you speak to the
person if you open your mouth so sodaka
on a certain level as you notice is also
dependent on what we call p on the mouth
on the coal and that's what it means.
So,
now it also says in Exodus 17 verse 11,
it says over there that when it came to
passing,
the govern Israel, Moses was sitting on
the hilltop and Yeshua was down below
fighting the war with the Malik.
Moses, every time he raised his hands,
what happened? The Jews were victorious.
when he lowered his hands because they
were quite heavy then Yeshua was not
winning the battle. A malik had upper
hand. Now listen to this. Who was on the
s who who who were on the sides of of
Moshe helping him hold his hands up?
They were growing heavy. So he was
sitting on the rock. He had Aon and his
brother on his right side and he had his
brother-in-law on the other side. Why?
Why Aram? So Moshe represents Torah.
We're talking about these three pillars.
Moshe represents Torah. On the right, he
had Aram which represents a voda prayer.
That's the base of Mikdash. And who's
why is he there? It's his
brother-in-law. Meaning he's married to
Miriam. Miriam was such a teddas and is
is she was a woman full of it says when
when Pharaoh wanted to destroy the
Jewish baby men bale babies that her and
Yvid right took the babies and fed them
and nursed them and kept them warm right
they kept them alive this is the that
Miriam is known to have done would it
have been appropriate for all the Jewish
male soldiers and warriors to look up on
the hill and watch
Moon and Miriam holding up Aron's hands.
No, it's not appropriate for the woman
to be up there, especially in war, but
at all to right to be holding up her
maybe she didn't have the strength
either to hold up her her brothers, but
it was a way of being modest. Okay,
through modesty it was her husband who
stood up there on the hilltop. So he
represents.
So
when the Jewish people are strong with
these three things,
that's the learning and keeping of the
Torah, prayer, and charity.
They're also related to the word, to the
word hand.
Oh,
I'm sorry. then Israel will be um will
be involved in strengthening Torah which
we said is dependent on the hand. It
says in Deuteronomy chapter 33
verse
two
it says over there that from his right
hand was a fiery law for them. So in
other words, whenever it says mino from
his right, it always means his right
hand. Whenever it says yad without
mentioning it right or left, it's always
left. Okay? So miamino means his right
hand. The fiery law came and was given.
So it means from his hand
and tells us in
page 61A
that one should not talking about a man
should not count out money into a
woman's hand. you know, especially we're
talking about when he has the desire to
look at her or to get close to her, to
look at her hands even. Okay? So, you we
count out the money you put on the table
and let her take it. I know it sounds,
you know, well, it's not respectful, but
it says that even if you're like Moshe,
you have so much Torah, it's
inappropriate to do that, right?
Especially if that's your intent. If
it's not your intent and you have no
other way, it's probably not such a big
issue. But if it could be avoided, that
would be great.
So that is what that verse is talking
about. And we're talking about even if
you had as much Torah as Moshe
Mosha, it was handed down like it was to
Moshe, you still shouldn't do it. What
about saddaka? How is sedaka related to
hand? I think it's quite obvious, right?
Not only is that how you give saddaka,
but it also says you shouldn't be
tightfisted. You shouldn't close your
hand to giving sudaka.
Okay, so it says in Deuteronomy 5 15
verse 7.
It says,
"And you shall not close your hand from
your needy brother."
And what about tila? Can we relate to
prayer? The truth is the Jews used to
pray with their hands like this. And the
idea is why do we put our feet together?
We keep our feet together. We're
supposed to imagine as if our feet are
tied. It is true that the malim the
angels have only one foot and so we're
like representing angels in a certain
way. But also because we're supposed to
be like sub subjects of Hashem, like
submissive to Hashem. And so our feet
were bound and our hands should be like
bound. Okay. But because they're going
go ahead and do that. So we have uh
changed tactics. What we do is try to
put it over your chest, squeeze your
fist and put it over your heart. But
there's all kinds of ways people pray
and we'll see. Raising your hands also
is a very Jewish thing. Okay. So we're
going to see it shortly.
So ah here it comes. Right now also to
feel a prayer is dependent on the hands.
It says in Psalms 63:5,
"In your name, I shall raise my hands. I
shall lift my hands." And you can see
rash on that. It's talking about in
prayer.
Okay? Bishima,
right? In your name, I raise my hands.
And this is what it says when we spoke
about Moses raising his hands. Moses
raised his hands. And we were
victorious.
Mosha the Gi Israel when Israel when
when Moses did this Israel actually was
strengthened in all these things and
they actually become uh victorious.
This ready for this this is called
this is the strategy. You want to know
um a method, a technique to win a war,
make sure you do the following,
right? Torah of voting.
But wait till you hear this.
those who arrange a war. I don't know if
it means the general, I don't know if it
means the the um you know the the
political echelon,
but basically you want to win a war, you
have to take with you
into your hands avion.
What is that's a sword
is a bow and arrow. A main is a shield
and a shirion is armor. Whether it's a
knee pad or a bulletproof vest, that
type of thing. This is what you need.
What the clear is now going to do is
express how these four things are
related to winning the war because this
is what he said.
Right? We have all three Torah,
right? prayer and or
um
they're actually compared to these four
things. These four things, the sword,
the bow and arrow, the shield and the
armor that you can relate all three of
these to those four things.
So the we already mentioned the keshit
we hints to to prayer as we saw in
Genesis 48:22
as Jacob says with my sword and my bow I
overcame the Amorites I wiped out the
whole city right and I'm giving it to
you the children of Yseph. Um, this
hints also to Torah because it says in
Psalms 127:E4
that like arrows in the hands of these
warriors. So too in the hands of these
youth and the youth are your disciples.
As you see in Rashi, we're talking about
Torah. Torah is this is the weapon of
war. Uh it says arrows, but it means the
same thing. It means like the bow, the
bow and arrow.
Um in terms of Torah, what about a main?
Main as we said, is the shield. So it
says over in Psalms 18:31.
It says, "The word of the Lord is a
refined. He is a shield to all who trust
in him." So we're talking about
um Torah and prayer. What about Shiron?
This is the the armor. This armor
represents is represented by sodak. It
represents saddaka. Now I don't know if
you know this idea of the nail. The
armor the way like think of an armadillo
something here from where you have
armadillas. So you have this, it looks
like armor, but it's a bunch of little
pieces that are all like shingles on a
roof. You you follow what I'm saying?
They're like interlocked, but they're
going to protect. Okay? So if think
about every time you do tadaka, it may
be a little bit, it may be a small coin,
but you know what? It's going to add up
and it's going to protect you. And
that's the idea.
It says in Isaiah chapter 59:17,
the yilbash saddaka kashiron. So if you
look at 32 in the source sheet, Isaiah
59:17, and he dawned righteousness like
a coat of male, and a helmet of
salvation is upon his head, and he
dawned garments of vengeance as his
attire, and he was clad with zeal as a
cloak. Very important. We're going to
see the whole verse, but right now um
right and good babaasher 10b explains
what I just did that each little small
pocket of of protection adds up to a lot
of protection and that's like giving
sodaka.
Okay.
Just as the armor is going to protect
the one wearing it. So to so charity
we find that David
he was a man. He was a warrior and he
conquered a lot of places outside of uh
what we call you know Israel at the
time. He created a greater Israel to a
certain extent. And why was he
victorious in his wars? Because of the
merit of giving sudaka. And he he it
says in 2 Kings 14 verse
seven. Now when I look at this verse and
I look at the murim, I didn't really see
that it was talking about David per se.
It was talking about kings that
descended from David and they were
victorious. As it says in 2 Kings 14:7
and struck down Edom in the valley of
salt. Now it's very important. He Adam
be mel in the valley of salt. Melik
somehow or another salt is going to be
related to charity.
Ma what does it mean exactly? Where is
this valley of salt?
It's not really that where it is what
it's called that it's called the valley
of salt because the Jewish kings who
fought there they merited to win because
of the um the merit of of doing sudaka
and sodaka somehow is related to salt
and if you look in cassuba 66b it says
melakaser
now this is a little bit it's not
exactly the easiest thing to explain
name. Look in what would you say it was?
Cassubis.
Look in source number 35.
So we're talking about the daughter of
Nagdim Bengory. Nagdim Gorian was one of
the wealthiest men of of Israel at that
time of the destruction of the temple.
He had enough money with few other very
wealthy people to sustain the Jewish
people for a couple decades. when Rome
came to destroy Uralia and um she
approaches
the the sage and asks to to for Saddaka
and he didn't recognize her and he said
who are you and she said I'm the
daughter of Nagim Bengoron so he said
listen I know your father had a lot of
money where did it all go so she know
she's very poor so she said my teacher
is not is it Not that they say such a
proverb in line, salt for money is
lacking. Now the word so what does it
mean? There's nothing with which to
preserve it and prevent it from being
lost. What does salt do? One of the main
I guess characteristics of salt is it a
pres preservative. So salt which is if
you want to preserve your wealth this
are words of advice. You want to
preserve your wealth then give sodaka.
He asked about the father-in-law because
the father-in-law was also wealthy and
she said, "Well, when we lost it, we
lost everything." Okay, this is very
important. This is actually going to be
quite controversial and I think you're
going to appreciate this to a certain
extent if I can explain it correctly.
So we're on like near the top of the
left side
when we said oh
me this valley of salt and it says
inabashra page 10b all the saddaka that
the nations give now the truth is it
sounds like anybody who gives for the
wrong reason should be in this category
anybody gives for the right reason
should be in the other category so all
the nations that give they're they're
doing a sin, right? If you're doing
saddaka, you're giving charity, if
you're doing it because God commanded
you to do it, which I think the seven
laws include that, by the way, as a
subcategory because the Rabonian says
that any any of the mitzvah that are
logical or ethical, you're obligated in.
So, it's logical and ethical to give
sodaka. So if you're doing because God
said so, that's good. But if you're
giving it to make yourself great, to
make yourself feel better, you're
walking down the street and you see
somebody and you, you know, you're not
saying God commanded me. I'm only giving
because I feel bad for this guy or I
wanted other people to see me give. That
is only to make yourself feel better.
But if you say, I do feel bad for the
guy. I do want to feel good about this
act, but I'm doing it because God told
me, then you're in the category of being
Jewish. Right? So he says like this that
any saddaka that the nations give,
they're only it's called a sin. They're
doing a sin because it says in Proverbs
14:34 and it literally says it charity
will elevate a nation. What nation is
that? the one nation that we spoke about
on
right on Shabbat. It's it's it's one
nation just like God is one. The nation
is one but the kindness of the nations
of the kingdoms is sin. That's what it
says literally. King Solomon says that
um
you can't get around it. The kindness of
the nations is sin. Why?
Because they're only doing this for
their s own aggradisement to make
themselves better, feel good. And this
is what it says. Why is it called the
valley of salt?
That was because of this is why the
downfall of the nations in that place
because of the they did with pride
meaning only for for selfish reasons
gar
and I'm sorry near it's also hinted in
the name of valley of salt for all three
reasons meaning the Torah and giladi
starting with sodaka
So,
right this idea that the the um the salt
preserves so too the preserves your
wealth. What about Torah? So, it says
the way of Torah is a little bit through
deprivation through uh being satisfied
with less such as just eating bread
that's dipped in salt. That's literally
what it says. You want Torah, eat bread
dipped in salt. What about a voda?
There's a famous pekk in numbers 18:19
where God gave the kanim a special bris
melik and it was not just it was also
forever. It's a brisel.
It's a covenant forever with salt and
that is a vod that's prayer.
And it was because of these three
pillars that David stood on that his
children stood on the the future kings.
This is those three pillars in which
they were able to overcome Edom. And
Isaiah again Isaiah in 59
17 yub saddaka that if you dress up in
sedaka that's like your armor and it's a
co Yeshua's ro and it's like a helmet or
a hat of salvation on his head and then
the rest of the verse talks about and
vengeance on the go
to dress up in righteousness
like armor and giving giving charity
that is
just like each little piece is going to
collectively make a fullbon
a great um thing of armor for you so to
the each and every coin is all combined
and that's in the bahavashra what does
it mean that it's going to be a ka
Yeshua's veroa this helmet
of salvation on your head.
This is prayer
that when you pray, I don't know if you
noticed, they did these um I don't know
how it works, but modern technology can
do heat and then colors of different
heat and people who pray uh there's a
certain aura that they can be detected.
Anyway, what it says here is what does
tila do? It makes a crown, a godly crown
on your head. So too, we say in art and
where do we say this? We say this
inimos,
right? May my prayer be a praise for
your head.
Okay,
we speak about this um garments are for
vengeance. That's the Torah because
that's mush
that this
um it's it's basically
and the Torah is going to be the
clothing for the soul.
Now if you go into Ezekiel chapter 16
verse 7 it says over there that but you
were naked and bare that is a reference
to not having Torah. Okay. So if you
don't have Torah the person would be
considered naked and bareamil.
So this idea to be dressed up in the in
this armor, this is the armor of Torah.
This is the armor that will not just
save us but also allow us to take out
the proper vengeance on our enemies and
save the Jewish people.
There is one small piece I want to
finish with and I maybe I'll just sum it
up that again. what did Moab see to take
uh advice from Midian? So we spoke about
the idea that Moses grew up in Midian
and we wanted to know the character
traits but he says that Moab
was actually lower. They were on a lower
level. I'm not exactly sure what he says
and Moab. Now does that mean physically?
I would have thought Mo was on a plateau
and um Midianites were not. But let's
not think in physical terms. It must be
metaphysical terms. We're talking about
that Moab was on a lower level, whatever
that means. And it says that we saw it
already in Genesis 36:35
that Midian had a battle in the fields
of Moab. So the way the world normally
works is that whoever is greater does
not take advice from whoever is smaller.
So why would Moav which is greater or
higher take advice from Midian which is
lower since they saw that the Jewish
people were so victorious in a way that
was not normal. It was supernatural
for the um the supernatural ability of
Jewish people to overcome was through
Torah. The Torah is not a normal thing.
It's not natural. Right?
It's like beyond it's it's not in this
world
because the way the normal way works is
the greater person is overcomes the the
smaller person. But when it comes to
Torah, we see many times that the
smaller person, the smaller thing
overcomes the greater. Just Hanukkah as
an example. Porum is an example and many
of our our wars seven Arab armies have
come against us and it's just it's not
normal.
So that's we see now it says in
Gmoratinus and we this is a famous
Gomorrah that they asked these rabbis
who did you learn the most of your Torah
from right you think I would have said
my rabbis. So the rabbis are greater and
then but they didn't say that and then
the colleagues were next in line for
greatness and then the students were
probably least great and who did they
learn most their Torah from? The lower
ones. The lower that's the way Torah
works. That's the way Torah works. It
says like this.
So I learned a lot from my rabbis. I
learned a lot from my colleagues, but
who did I learn the most from? The
students. And so it also says, why is
the Torah compared to a tree, right?
The Torah is compared to a tree. Why?
So what happens is, I don't know if you
know about kindling or maybe you
whatever small piece of wood, when you
want to start a fire, right, in your
fireplace or whatever it is, you need to
have some kindling. It's those small
little pieces that can make such a great
fire and you need that. And that's what
it says here.
So too, when it comes to Torah, the
greater you are, the more you're
learning from the smaller people, so to
speak.
I'm not sure exactly what this is
referring to. I think it basically is
that if you see a tree, try to imagine
what its roots are. Right? You see the
tree it might be small or let's just say
whatever you see you see but you can
imagine that the roots are equal or even
more than what is visible and that is
the lower area
and I think we will stop here even
though there's a lot more to go
um but I thank you all for your patience
and I hope you all learned something and
I wish you all a Shabbat shalom a great
Shabas and a great life and we'll see
you next week.
Heat. Heat.
My
shing.