Rinat Chaim: The Rulership is Yours and The Might is in Your Hand with Rabbi Aaron Dovid Poston

[music] You [singing] see your [music] [singing] tomorrow [music and singing] Shalom everybody. Welcome back to the bait mash. Welcome home to Torah. A warm welcome. This class we're continuing in Reatim. Right. This is by Rabbi Freellander. We started in L. It mainly deals with the theilot of Yim Rashana Yamipur. So we were building ourselves up on. But you know what? It's so fundamental. One of the ideas we learned was that you the prayers really are for the whole year, right? What we're praying for is for the whole year, right? On rash and yip. So doesn't it make sense that the fact is there are fundamental concepts that we do need to know all year round. So the words may sound familiar that we say only then, but uh the concepts are what we live with all year round. So [clears throat] on page 20 and 21 is what we're going to deal with. Basically the bottom of 20 and only the top of 21. We're praying we're praying that what that as we have known that Hashem is our God and that rulership is yours right all year round. Of course but that's what we say on Rashana. Now in the Hebrew commos locomotion which is for those who are in opan right it's past tense or present tense as opposed to future tense it's I think it's past perfect it means that we know we have known that hashem is our god and the rulership belongs to you and he clarifies by saying it's not like shenada that we will know Right. I should be aim that we already know intellectually I just want to emphasize that the word according to the Rambam that's like a really high level we use let's say we we learn Torah we pray what we want to have is intellectual clarity we want to get to the highest levels intellectually the the the the maharal the clear they say the word seal actually means spirit okay so I like to combine the two it's the intellectual spirit right that's what seel is so we may know with our because we do know we already know intellectually kavar already with an iron that now yodu we do know but sharak what do we that it's Hashem who has absolute control and rulership over all of creation. But what we are lacking is what are we lacking? See the rest of the thing is right is we want to return, we want to sit, we want to have it impressed upon our hearts. We did speak at least in the kakar. One of the most important things is not just the brit on the body which is very important in Judaism and women by the way don't need that tikun at all. They're considered circumcised. There's no right. There's no barriers. They go straight. Okay. That we have to circumcise our hearts. [snorts] The nvi tells us to do it. We want to know how to do it. We spoke about it a few weeks ago. But we're going to discuss this idea that it's not good enough just to know intellectually there has to be and maybe women some women here maybe women have a a greater hush when it you know sense when it comes to feelings okay men are a little bit stonehearted I'm a man I'm going to say it we're a little bit colder but we have to warm up we have to impress upon our hearts properly which which we're lacking on the PK. Now there's a PK in Deuteronomy 4:39. Um just part of the verse is quoted Elohim. So I think in last week's last week we discussed the two vets right even with your yates harah you use that to serve Hashem here right theat right and you realize today you knew today hom and you placed like the word hash you rested on your hearts that Hashem is Elohim okay that's the verse it's in Deuteronomy it's in the it's in the Torah There's going to be two um stages. [cough and clears throat] Stage one we're going to call the intellectual stage and stage two will be an integration between the intellect and the heart. So shown who in the vat the first part is in you shall know today you realized today. that we are obligated to understand with our minds and to know with perfectly clear knowledge just like today right the day is you know there's light you know that it's day of always said you have to have five finger clarity you know you have five fingers everything you learn in the Torah you have to have absolute clarity right so ask questions and you know that okay this year I didn't learn it so well next year I'm going to learn it better right every time you sit down and learn you're going to learn better and better till the point you have five finger clarity I mean the gammor actually brings as in the company but this is what the to the tells us you have to know the Torah so clear that you know like as if you knew your sister's forbidden to you right someone wakes you up 3:00 in the morning are you is your is your sister forbidden to you don't have to think twice right that's how clear Torah should be. Okay, should be sharp and clear. Okay, so he goes on that we're talking about something that should be clear as day basically that God is the Almighty. However, even with all that clarity, with all that intellectual knowledge, that is considered only intellectual knowledge awareness. That's great. That's olive. What's going to bring us to the next stage? That second part of the verse and you have to place it upon your hearts or your heart. We translate it like that. [snorts] And with this perfectly clear awareness in your mind, you must make this impression. You must implant it on your heart. That our behavior has to be in line with our knowledge. It's good to have the head knowledge. It's good start. But actually that means your life the life that you live and your conduct should be according to your knowledge is like your desires your longings what you're striving for that all of your desires should be and your and your will should be in that action. This is written 100 100 years ago. Unfortunately, it's very possible there are people who have a lot of knowledge. They're wellversed [snorts] and they're on a very high level of serving God. But their life is not really in line with their perceptions. They may have clarity, but what do we want to do? We want to be in line. Our behavior should be in line with our belief system. Right? Our hearts are full of our own desires. uh other than or maybe he he translates as different goals right we have um we're motiv by we're motivated by entirely different agendas there are right we talked about this also if you're not doing thema still better to do it eventually hopefully you'll come to do a lashma that's okay but there should be an end goal that that you're doing it for the right reasons and of he said these words that there's a greater distance between ignorance and knowledge. Okay, there is a sorry there is a distance which is actually yan or katan. So the distance between ignorance and knowledge is less than meaning what's greater. So we unfortunately have a greater distance between the head knowledge and the heart uh the feeling that we take to the heart. There's an old joke. I don't know if how it works in Israel. I don't think it works in Israel. Let's say maybe it does. So you see men with ties and you see men wearing garter belts, right? So they say by them, right? So they don't wear ties. They don't wear ties because it separates the head from the heart right they still have to wear gart belt. So that's going to separate your heart from the but the idea is that the at least invar of them don't wear ties and the litfox wear ties. So litak have to get a little bit more integrated. It's a joke because it's not true, but it's a nice thing to say if you're aid, right? [snorts] And if you're not aid anyway, I better not say it. Okay, let's continue. So, we have to integrate our head with our heart. That's the point. That unfortunately is a greater distance. And he says, the idea of acquiring knowledge is not going to be opposed to you know why because once you know and you do the sin anyway or you don't follow the properly so the is very happy about that he's not he's he's quite happy why so because then you're doing the sin beazed you of amazing needs on purpose with knowledge, let's say. So, he's not going to be against you getting knowledge, believe it or not, because the he he gets off. He gets enjoyment from seeing Jews with head knowledge doing the wrong thing. Where his What is he really upset about? When we were el when we end up placing upon our hearts the real truth the clarity when we're apparently living according to our head knowledge it's coming out in our behaviors it's coming out in our speech it's coming out our relationships that we're we're making progress right then okay then he's um he's get that uh Meaning, let me put it like this. He's not upset when you're putting the head knowledge into it. So, he won't prevent you from going and learning. But like things like this where we're going to try to integrate. So, that would be a problem for the sun for that has a tremendous opposition to and this is what we're praying for in Rashashana. This is also the explanation of the connecting thread of the prayers because what do we say right? We want to carry out your will with with wholeheartedly with a full heart that we're bringing it into um not just the heart but like into your whole body, right? The the heart is pumping your all the blood through your system. So serving Hashem with all your limbs, so to speak, but it starts with the heart and um and our hearts [snorts] are going to desire to behave like we are demanded to just like it said like we know that you're the God. We know that you're Hashem and therefore according to what we already know that what as as that line ends in the prayer that the rulership is yours top of the left side. What do we mean when we say that the rulership is yours? that Hashem everything is open, everything is available before you prepared for you. Hashem runs everything. He doesn't have to any he doesn't need any preparation. He doesn't even have to bother himself in in his preparation because he already rules over all of creation. Everything is laid bare in front of you. And we say o. So this um rulership is very strong o. Now when we say you have the word and you have whenever the word is used it always means your right hand even though the word y isn't there it's y mean and without saying right is always left. Okay. When you ever have these expressions together and [clears throat] we do so explains the and the word mean whenever you have in a phrase the word yad which means hand and the word right which means the right hand then the word yad without a uh I forget what it's called an adjective an associated word is always the left hand. He yad that the intent for the word yad is what is small is your left hand. So the left hand is hinting to is connotating the behavior of the the laws of nature. Okay. And now the laws of nature we discussed was din as opposed to mercy and yamin is hanhagus hanim. So when we talk about god's right hand we're talking about a mode of conduct that is miraculous nims what comes out because it says o that means a strong left hand which is den but he's not referring to that right away. He's saying that is this is the normal behavior the which is we're talking about Hashem's behavior his that is hidden in nature that we're saying that Hashem he is the man he is ruling the world with strength but that is through nature and we're asking that your might is in your right hand and I bring up other religions unfortunately I mean so many people in this world could be the Christians I don't know maybe even Islam that they believe they have this belief that God is not really that all powerful that you that the sudden is at war with God and we need to help God. We need to help God overcome the Satan because he can't on his own. It's such a a ridiculous part of theology. But here we're saying there's absolutely no concept that will overcome and overpower those that he's fighting with. Hello. It's like he doesn't need assistance. He of course he's going to overpower them. There's nothing that can go against God. Even what we call the Satan is an obedient angel or angelic force or whatever you want to however you want to translate angels, a spiritual force. It is all under Hashem's guidance. There's no such thing as a what do they call a rebellious angel. That's not in Judaism. >> [snorts] >> But that rather Hashem desires, he really wants to conduct himself in this world with the nature in accordance with all the laws of nature. That's what he wants. And it's only whoal. And it's only occasionally that he overcomes. That's why are not um what's the word? There's no miracles all the time in terms of what do you call giloy? There's miracles happening. We spoke about the yotsar, right? You can see your your skin heal in front of you. The very fact that we meet we meet people. Two people could be sitting there. I mean, we're like 6,000 miles away. Well, maybe because the Jewish world is a small world, but it doesn't matter. There's the such aka such individual uh providence, but it's hidden. It's not right. It's more like Esther, right? Esther punning. And within the framework of we have in peravos who's considered strong the one who is kesh who's over able to overcome his inclination. So what we're asking really that Hashem overcome that mida from the left side and treat the world with again shal and that's what it means. Okay, now we're going to actually stop here. I want to read that last paragraph again in English so we have a better clarity. Just for clarity sake, um I'm going to just read from the last paragraph in the English version of this book. With the first two words, we proclaim that your rulership is o in your hand. The yeets explains the subtle difference between the word yad which is means hand and the word yamin which means right hand. Whenever yad and yin are used in one phrase the word yad indicates specifically the left hand which has the connotation of the divine natural mode of conduct meaning through the laws of nature. Whereas denotes the divine miraculous mode of conduct. It follows therefore that strength is in your right hand. I'm sorry your your hand without the word right means that even in your regular mode of conduct through the natural laws you rule the world world with strength. Now what do we mean? What do we mean by and might is in your right hand. So that already is asking that his right hand should be stronger than his left hand which obviously it is in in these terms right that we're that we're using. Um, remember I'm a left-handed. So my right, my left hand is stronger. But this idea that um, we said it, we spoke before, you're supposed to what? Push away with your left hand and bring close with your right hand. The idea is your left hand is weaker, but so therefore use the strength of your right hand to bring closer. Same idea here. God's strength, whatever you want to call it, his left hand is just like our left hand, which should be weaker. And so we need he we need to overcome with our right. So too, that's the conduct that we're asking that his right should overcome. This is what it says. And might is in your right hand. God's might here does not imply that will overpower anybody who wages war against him because nobody in the world can even begin to fight against him rather has a more subtle meaning and this is where I wanted to read English it's a more subtle meaning really wishes to govern the world in a natural way and in accordance with his this desire he established the laws of nature occasionally Ally though he overcomes this. He he he exhibits gura in the same sense as in perkyavo who's considered mighty one who overcomes and conquers his desires. Then he rules the world in a miraculous way not according to laws of nature. This is the meaning of and we're going to stop here and we're going to continue this next week. So you better be uh stay tuned because we're like in the middle of a paragraph. Okay. So we want to just stop here. I just want to wish everybody that should Sunday shove and a good winter at least in our part of the world. I know in Australia or uh South Africa maybe it's summer. But anyway, wish everyone a good winter. It should rain in the right places at the right times. And you know why I'm saying this, right? and uh and uh the right amount in the right places at the right time and our prayers will be answered and everyone have a great week. [music] [singing] [music] You [singing] [music] see your [singing] body [music] >> [singing]