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The Jacobson Brothers Discuss It All: Rabbi Simon & Rabbi YY Jacobson
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Rabbis Simon and YY Jacobson on Education, Inspiration, Philosophy, Anti Semitism, Israel and Their Personal Lives. This lecture was delivered at the National Jewish Retreat of JLI, in the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, Washington, D.C. on Sunday, August 18, 2019 (17 Av, 5779).
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the yeshiva dotnet
[Music]
good morning Simon Jacobsen my dear and
beloved brother yet why why Jacobson
it's official Jacobson I'm the oldest in
the family he's the youngest and we have
three siblings sandwiched in between boy
girl boy their own boy and it's a
pleasure to be here together we spoke a
briefly a little about the structure and
format here and we'll get straight to it
so no need for long introductions you've
already heard us independently and now
we'll be here together so we'd like to
do to really maximize the time in the
fullest way instead of talking about one
thing at length rather talk about many
things and as much as possible and also
engage with you the audience so we're
gonna do is we're gonna begin with a few
questions that we'll ask each other and
try to stick to not try the absolutely
stick to short answers and short doesn't
mean 45 minutes which is short by the
way in relatively speaking but rather
maybe two minutes and and then be happy
to take questions from all of you and
hopefully this will be a very meaningful
and reaching session for all of us I'll
start with a question to my esteemed
brother if if you were given the
opportunity to change one thing in the
system of all Jewish schools and
education from grade one from free one
day what would it be you stumped me
it's an excellent question
one thing would be a complete radical
shift on the focus that instead of
focusing on data knowledge and
information talk about Jewish
information to focus on soul on the
Shama why are we here God sent us for a
purpose that your entire life whatever
you'll do is going to be driven by that
purpose you have something unique to
contribute that you and no one else
could contribute and we as parents and
educators are here to help you do that
I'll just explain why I think this is
the single most important because if
children from youngest of age know that
and it's inculcated it's like integrated
part of their wiring and they really
sense it it creates confidence and
security and really all the Foundation's
necessary to be successful in Excel and
anything you do in addition to of course
instead of fighting all the demons and
the negative stuff in life being able to
focus on what light you're bringing to
this world because if you really measure
most people I don't know the exact
numbers are really more busy with
fighting evil or fighting demons I
should say than really spreading light
and this would be a big preemptive
element to that obviously there's no
guarantees but that would be a soul
based education not just education as in
schooling but 24/7 constantly
reinforcing and encouraging and helping
us build the courage to be you who you
are
express your voice sing your song
there's my brother smart or what you see
why I married into the family okay that
was a minute answer give all the case
history for Jacobson yeah let's see if I
can emulate him so my question to you my
dear brother my beloved brother I have
to just say one thing when he was a
little child when he was born it's 1972
it was the cutest human being ever saw
no and what does that change there we go
when I lost my innocence now I never
changed but you know a newborn's a
newborn and for me it was like I was 15
years old it was like a soul that came
and I first for the first time
appreciated a life and I have to just
say it's never changed to be honest but
he doesn't let me embrace him as I did
that okay the dimples have been eclipsed
by the beard huh yeah if you look at his
kids you could see a little taste so my
question to you is since so much has
been talked about Hasidic thought and
the citizen we both grew up in that
community the Reber and it was the
seventh and the line of rebus all
starting back from the baal shem tov
what would you think would be the
contribution that's pursue this in
general and maybe specifically in our
generation is contributed to judaism and
to the human race
Wow okay one minute I would say offhand
I would say three major points or three
major themes number one the absolute and
radical faith in the oneness in the
oneness of the universe God is one and
Hasidic teachings means not God is one
but that everything is part of the
divine that means we're all connected
it means we're all children of God that
means we all can be here for each other
it means we're responsible for the
world it means that physics science
biology cosmology mathematics
psychology spirituality Jewish law and
Judaism are all one because it's all
part of divinity I think that is one
major theme another major theme is that
the relationship between God and the
Jewish people and God generally and
humanity is one that is rooted in deep
love and unconditional love
sometimes Judaism becomes a focus on
contracts it's like we have a contract
with God and we lose the essential and
deep powerful love and I think a third
component is the universal and big
picture that our mission is really to
transform the whole world like we say in
LA no Lusaka in alum and those visions
that the baal shem tov and the students
articulated i think are the most
powerful and relevant to this very day
and urgent today more than ever
excellent my dear brother what was the
most memorable and moving experience in
your life or one of the most memorable
and moving experiences in your life
besides Marion Shandy or besides me
being born of course
there we go - it's a great question from
in any situation like what that word one
that we're related I think to the
audience how many of you were here
Wednesday night when we had this session
I spoke about the mission the rubbish
contribution will you hear Wednesday
night but not most of you right okay I'm
not gonna repeat it I just want to know
for context as a young man like all of
us as young people when we begin to
search and seek and try to understand
ourselves and our role in this world and
why we here and I was no different
struggling with that so though there are
many memorable moments that I could
identify but I believe probably that
crossroad where you move from
adolescence to maturity to being at
least in your mind somewhat of an adult
and really making a decision that will
affect the rest of your life so to me it
was those definitive moments that I
would say most memorable I'm only saying
that because as I said in context I
could share many different experiences
so let me just share what that was for
me
I was internally you know 14 15 years
old like most kids it was not
necessarily a very good student I was
bored in school I saw a lot of
mediocrity and a lot of complacency
there are many good people in my life
and just for full disclosure I was not
abused nor hurt so it wasn't like I was
angry or bitter on the contrary like I
used to always tell my friends when we
used to talk I said I was never
disappointed because I never expected
anything you know so others expected and
they got hurt that might get my
situation was the exact opposite I was
looking for something and I didn't have
the words for it at that time
you know I think I mentioned the
expression rebel without a cause
in retrospect so that epiphany which
happened and I can give you the dates
even it was on the 10th of swats in 1974
and was on the second day of Schwarz
1975 that had a traumatic impact on me
because I came to recognize certain
truth that would never leave me and I
must say wasn't a true that was not
inside it was resonating and it was in
the presence of the lubavitcher rebbe
who was that type of compelling
personality who spoke straight to the
soul at til that point I must say he was
a presence but I didn't appreciate it
but it was in the right time the right
place and I can tell you I'll talk about
the second the tenth day of sharad that
was a very I'm sorry the second day of
Schwarz and the rebel was talking about
the contribution and the the revelation
at Sinai which happens as force what
what happened what why was it so
dramatic
I mean God gave us the Ten Commandments
the mandate called the Torah what was so
dramatic was because a window a door
opened up between heaven and earth that
for the first time ever the human race
the mortal flawed limited human being
can transform matter into spirit matter
into energy and I have to tell you this
is my own personal experience was at the
right time as I said the right place I
felt in my heart and my soul my entire
being I could almost see it had the
rebel was describing like you look at a
table it just looks like a table but
it's really pulsating with energy
waiting to be released so if you use the
table for a good thing to study to spend
time with family the same thing with an
apple that you put into your mouth and
you use it for proper productive and
constructive ends you have transformed
that matter forever and I saw it with my
own eyes I felt it and it was like such
a powerful experience because I never
looked at the world in the same way
again to be honest I started seeing
people on events and expert
and encounters and places I went to in
that light that it's all potential
energy waiting to be released not never
sits never what you see is never what
you get I could elaborate more but
trying to keep it limited that was in a
moment that really changed my
perspective now of course it was
accumulative and till this day this is
how I see everything I would ask you the
same question it's a good question
memorable and I'll talk about what
memorable experience that I had with
with therapy as well which left I think
a very deep impact on me and I think it
was a guide for life it was 1985 some
historic 1986 some historic that night
the Mets won I think the first time in
26 years or something I mean those who
know this will correct me but it was
approximately then and it was similar
story at night the news arrived around
10 o'clock to 770 that the Mets won and
there were a lot of fans the lubavitcher
rebbe would have a fab ring in a
gathering before the hakka fought on
some historic for the dancing this was
1986 and I still remember while he was
talking somebody in the back I even know
remember who it was he's a big Slayer
today
and he gave a scream the Mets won he was
so excited it meant like life was like
the Messiah has arrived for him because
the Mets won the Rebbe however was in a
different world and he spoke about one
thing that I'll never forget he analyzed
the last Rashi the last commentary of
Rashi on the whole homage on the whole
Torah the end of the Torah speaks about
the death of Moses the Torah eulogizes
Moses and says there was never a prophet
like him there was never a man like him
who knew God face to face and
goes through everything he accomplished
in his life the exodus of Egypt is
splitting of the sea the ten plagues the
giving of the Torah the miracles in the
desert what's the last eulogy what's the
last comment the Torah makes about Moses
the last words let a call you sir all
Rashi says that Moses broke the tablets
and the rebus said I don't understand
that was the most catastrophic tragedy
in his life that's like the pinnacle of
all the eulogies it's like you talk
about a surge in 50 years
he saved 20,000 lives but the greatest
thing is that he killed one of his
patients I mean we managed to amputate
both of his arms and legs it may have
happened but it's not like very pinnacle
the Rebbe then saw he broke down sobbing
you remember like I never saw before
after he was sobbing literally like a
baby when he gave his answer it took
maybe a half an hour a little longer but
to summarize it in 30 40 seconds Moses
broke the tablets he said for one reason
to save the Jews because the tablets
were the marriage contract between God
and the Jewish people and the Jews so to
speak betrayed the marriage so Moses
broke the marriage contract basically
saying that the Jews are not really you
know they're still not married to you
there's no contract there's no silver to
prove it so there's still you know
bachelors running around looking for
some happiness until they figure out who
they have to commit and their ever said
the greatest quality of Moshe of Moses
was that he took the most priceless item
in the world what's the most priceless
item in the world the tablets that were
carved out by God and Moses deepest
commitment was to Torah Tashia and yet
when he had to choose between God the
Torah and the Jewish people what did he
do he broke the most precious divine
item to save the Jewish people he said
that's what a shepherd is the Rebbe is
sobbed uncontrollably
and anybody who was there including
myself it was such a transformative
moment how to learn Torah how to
understand what Jewish leadership is how
to understand who Moses was how to
understand who there ever was and most
importantly to understand that if Torah
and God does not lead you to the love of
the Jewish people and the love of
humanity then you're barking up the
wrong tree and you got the wrong Torah
[Applause]
so we're going to take the audience
questions from the audience we'll just
choose and and if you want to direct it
to either one of us or one of us or
either either way you like we'll go with
that
so go ahead the question was a double
question that once you begin to teach
and write Torah cities and it becomes
your job your profession how do you not
get jaded by that and secondly what was
the second half of that Yeah right deal
with your own personal okay excellent so
briefly others would all say if you know
how much we get paid you realize it's
not such an issue don't guess it's not
that difficult not to get jaded you get
humbled as well
even though I know we all love each
other and we have very good audiences
and good reactions so thank you for that
but when it comes down to the bottom
line and my case I have to raise money
and raising money God made it very
intentionally so that it's difficult
like the joke they tell the guy the
rabbi that gets into a synagogue and
says to the congregation we have a hole
in the roof and we need a hundred
thousand dollars and there's good news
and bad news the good news we have the
money the bad news it's in your pockets
so
so please don't see this as an appeal
but the fact is that so but but I still
want to answer in a more serious note
I'll say the following that it is a
challenge but I'll be honest we've been
I speak for myself but I'm sure my
brother feels similarly when you were
around the rubber who money was an
absolute none factor I think he got $80
a week or something like that don't even
know what he got but money was not an
issue it's suddenly it rubs off on you
so though obviously we need to pay our
bills and we have families and not
knowing that responsible but then the
end of the day it's not what drives me
at least what drives me is the mission
of my life and knowing the fact that God
wants us to have to raise money to pay
the bills and to do good things so and I
ask anybody for money I always say to
them it's really about being able to
achieve great things it's not about
enriching anybody you know I've written
books and there are royalties and people
ask how much you get from royalties you
have to sell millions of books to begin
to even talk about it just for the
records as far as the second half of the
question maybe I'll defer to my brother
since I don't want to completely
monopolize this a question so don't take
it away from here yeah I do know that
the one dear ever visited the Habad camp
in the Catskill Mountains camp GaN
Israel there was a sign on the canteen
money is the root of all evil
leave your evil here and the red basalt
and what did he say he said something
right he said it's not the root of all
evil so you should change the sign yeah
which was very consistent with the
rapper that no physical reality even if
it could be corrupted is essentially
corrupt the question is how you look at
it how you use it you build the base on
Victor's with money right and I think
the National Jewish retreat also cost a
couple of thousand steal a cell by mints
at least they raise money as though it
cost a couple of dollars the second
question was how do you replenish
yourself I mean again I think I could
speak for myself there's two to two very
important things
number one is you always have to keep
learning and growing yourself what
happens sometimes two speakers and
teachers is they repeat what they
learned 20 years ago and basically
they're bored of themselves so the
people may not know it in the beginning
but ultimately you've heard it and you
heard it all if a teacher is not
consistently challenging himself to
greater heights the material is not
fresh he or she will become jaded which
is why in my personal life I try very
hard to learn and to teach
constantly including things that are not
usable for lectures and speeches I give
a daily Talmud class and the laws of
ritual purity and impurity if I would
get up and give a sermon Friday night
about it within 30 seconds everybody
would be snoring it's complex it's
intricate but I know for me personally
it challenges me and it stimulates me
and it allows me to go to places and
learning of Torah that is not always for
speeches and sermons but it just keeps
my soul and my brain alive and I think
that's extremely important if you stop
doing that then you become a mouthpiece
like a lifeless mouthpiece
[Applause]
you both said that Torres iturra for all
of humanity
correct correct included in that Torah
the seven Noahide laws that are for
everybody it's obvious to everybody
watching any kind of news that the world
is desperately needing the voice of
Torah the me to movement all these
Jewish guys that are doing all these
things where is that voice why don't I
hear that voice in social media
everywhere like this is the time now is
the time for that voice to come forward
I have the same question I find it
actually tragic and sad that 3301 years
ago there was a great event called
Mountain Martin Torah at Sinai that
offered us divine blueprint by none
other than the creator of life so it's
like having the operator's manual that
tells us how to be the healthiest human
beings to build healthiest communities
and Nations and so on addresses every
issue sometimes you have to dig deeper
and look into it and it's not seen
necessarily as that blueprint today
however the good news is and I'm sure
we've been touched upon in many
different lectures throughout this
weekend that much of the United States
is fundamental principles and many of
the worlds including charity and other
humanitarian values and so on our Torah
based so a lot of progress has been made
if you compare the world today to the
world a few hundred years ago and
definitely a few thousand years ago but
there's a lot more to be done and
sometimes to be honest I when I present
and sometimes someone says so what's
your mission in the broadest universal
sense I would say is to reclaim Sinai as
being the first source for direction to
all matters in life as it was back then
and it has become in many different ways
so I think it's our job all of us here
not just myself and my brother and other
teachers it's our job wherever we go in
our communities in our families and
wherever we are our workplace is to
demonstrate there's a dilemma you
mentioned me too
you mention other issues do we have
something to say and if you don't say
anything then of course the conclusion
will be we have nothing to say it's one
of the reasons I wrote toward a
meaningful life because if people said
to me where's the where the books it's
all in Hebrew so I think we are
obligated to have something to say and
if you don't have something to say call
someone up that can help you or direct
people to someone that can help today
online you can find a lot of stuff
there's a lot more work to be done but I
can't see it happening without all of us
together as partners it has to be
grassroots where just as I spoke
yesterday about Trump from a Torah
perspective we can talk about me too we
could talk about his scandals we could
talk about sexual stuff we could talk
about sports for that matter and the
Torres something to say on everything
believe it or not it's our job to do
that and the more we do it more all of
us commit to it
it can have a ripple effect and what do
you think mushiya is a world filled with
divine knowledge as the waters cover the
sea divine knowledge that store of
knowledge spiritual knowledge yes
keeping the relationship with your child
first and foremost when the child
doesn't want to be religious or
spiritual and I just need to understand
though because I have that situation and
I naturally kept the relationship but
where do you draw the line like
sometimes I would not go to shul on
Shabbat to spend some time with her
but now as she's getting older she's 14
I feel like well that may not be the
right thing to do like I have to model
for her what where I want to be and I
just need to understand a little bit
more about how to try to guide her since
she's 14 in the right direction
you ask a very sensitive and important
question I don't know that there are
black-and-white guidelines when it comes
to this issue but I think the general
rule and the general principle that I
would say is don't look at it as either
or either I go to shul to spend time
with God or I waste my time trying to
hang out with my daughter who says that
you'll be closer to God and shrew then
if you're gonna spend the time with your
daughter I would say sometimes it's the
other way around
if you were thinking of giving that same
answer to college-age students where
would you focus where would you begin in
other words of a city's best educators
the cities based program for the rahim
to offer to college students directed to
me or to my brother and Wednesday night
the opening session that I was at I
shared a story about the Rebbe with a
young man who was planning to go to
college
about a circle and a center some of you
remember that that was where they were
there actually every year is an annual
international Habad on-campus conference
where you have over a thousand students
come to Crown Heights and they hosted by
different families and they have events
and so on and my house has become one of
the stops at quite a few students and I
always talk to them about that analogy
so frankly what I said about young
children I would sit to call students as
well except in a different language and
that is you're now at a crossroad in
your life you don't yet have a job
you're finishing or you're middle of
your education and your making gonna
make big decisions in the next few years
what you're gonna do with your life
who you marry where you're gonna live
and so on so the most single most
important thing you should be focusing
on is not your knowledge what
everybody's taking medicine or law or
accounting or computer science or
political science but rather why what
will you do with all
these tools called knowledge to make
this world a better place to actualize
yourself and fulfill your purpose in
life because you can't have a circle
without a center and just like a
business can't function without a
mission statement the human being cannot
be effective without a true mission
statement which cannot just be a generic
I want I'll be a happy person I'll make
money that's not a mission statement
every company is supposed to be doing
that
how will you uniquely with your
particular skill set and your experience
and your opportunities how will you use
that to give and serve the human race
and they're always so intrigued the
college students by this I'm telling you
they like gravitate to it as I see
that's what exactly what to be the
message I would offer to that age thank
you thank you both I wanted to pick up
on something another woman said because
I had expressed this to my rabbi in
traveling in California one year we
traveled all over and listened to the
radio and it occurred to me that that
Habad should be on the radio there are
so many truckers there are so many
people who are listen to the radio as
they make their living and I used to
listen years ago to Car Talk on NPR with
click and clack the brothers you two are
a team I mean you could easily be picked
up by NPR so I don't know if you've ever
thought of it but I think there's a
whole world out there that has a hungry
soul and there are so many people who
know so little about Judaism because we
are such a small part of the you know
percentage of the population and this
would be a wonderful outreach tool thank
you for the vote of confidence do you
work in the media
I'd say this I'll just say this I'm sure
remember maybe brother wants to add
something by all means I mean I frankly
feel sometimes spread very thin and some
and maybe needs more focus but there's
no question not saying it's humbly but
with all humility that if there was a
proper tunity I'm sure there are to be
able to reach much larger audiences and
today with technology and internet and
so on both of us do podcasts and we do
classes and programs but if anyone has
any real practical ideas I'm sure we
both be receptive theoretically you're
100% right the leadership of every
Jewish organization should get together
with the leadership of every other
Jewish organization and make a national
international Jewish retreat with a lot
of food for four days and realized the
urgency and make resolutions and change
the world okay you're right you're 100%
right
if you and I wait til that happens it's
gonna happen 20 years after mashiac
arrives so so the real question is
there's a Jew's child who lives on my
block
why don't I inspire his parents to send
them to a Jewish school that's what you
can do and that's what I can do will
change the world
we'll do it one Jew at a time non-stop
if I wait till everybody comes together
I'll wait forever I just want to add to
that that something I've thought about a
lot over the years you know what's the
most effective way to get your bang for
the buck so to speak to put in an amount
of energy and get the biggest results
and we all begin when were younger or
more idealistic thinking you know let's
just go to the institutions and
organizations that are already doing it
educational institutions or outreach
institutions or social programs and so
on and then you know like everybody goes
through three stages like there's at one
point when you're in high school or
you're in college and you say to
yourself hey you know what I'm gonna
change these educational systems then
you realize that happening so fast
okay then comes stage 2 I'm gonna build
my own you know then you realize that's
not happening either it's a lot of money
and
basically resignation and say okay too
bad you know that's it I had good ideas
so I've thought about this a lot a lot
and I realized it's very difficult to go
from the top down for some of the
reasons my brother didn't say the
reasons but I agree with him it's very
difficult because institutions are
locked in a certain way not flexible and
I'm not even criticizing maybe they're
just stuck or whatever it is they have
their budgets so grass roots is what I
thought is maybe the easiest way because
today with technology you could create a
groundswell and a revolution from the
bottom up and then today all the
institutions need individuals like us
because we're the ones that paid tuition
and we're the ones that support them so
I thought that maybe even though it may
be more difficult to approach but it's
more realistic grassroots and that will
create a transformation that will affect
even the institutions and organizations
that we have in 67 when the Temple Mount
was in our hands once again if you had
been an advisor to the Prime Minister
what would you have advised - on how to
handle that by 1967 yeah I mean I have
one minute and I'm gonna be very blunt
and Frank the sensitive ones won't mind
I hope you'll forgive me I believe that
Israel made a tragic historic mistake in
1967 the detrimental results that we are
seeing until this very day the you for
the Utopia the utopian euphoric feeling
of the great miracles of Israel being
tripled almost quadrupled in six days of
seven armies trying to wipe out the
people and creating a second Holocaust
defeated in six days not in five years
by Churchill and Roosevelt and Stalin in
six days by a tiny army the Jewish world
was transformed for the first time in
close to 2,000 years Jews felt the
presence of God the presence of Israel
what it means for them the whole ball
shuva
it was created at that moment the but
there was one group that sadly and I'm
not judging them they were not ready for
it and that was a major part of the
leadership in Israel who so entrenched
in a very secular socialist veldt and
shaolong not only did not seize the
moment but went to the opposite Moshe
Dayan after six hours commanded the army
to remove the Israeli flag from the
Temple Mount what message did that give
to Nasser what message did that give to
King Hussein what message did that give
Tyra father what message did that give
to the whole Arab world at the end of
the day the Jews are weak they don't
mean it and they're not confident in
their mission and their position and the
rest are catastrophic results finally
finally a relevant question from the
mouths of babes on the mouths of babes
exactly no offense okay no offense
he said no offense why why I want you as
my therapist we're exactly 15 and a half
years apart you got to figure out as I
said at the outset who's old something
I've been wondering is you know what
I've learned from this retreat and just
from being around Habad is that you
serve God through the minut details of
your life and we're serving this force
that is so much more powerful and so
outside of the realm of what we're even
able to understand and what I'm confused
by is why is God so jealous about
somebody like us that's so insignificant
wouldn't that be like us obsessing over
the behaviors of ants and if if God you
know can do anything and create new
universes why would he care about the
meet that we're not eating with milk
like it just it seems disproportionate
and it almost brings us to this level of
we're so important that we are of
concern to the all-powerful and I and I
struggle with that so I wanted to hear
your answer yes good would you be
surprised if I told you that probably
thousands of pages have been written by
Jewish scholars and mystics precisely on
this theme would you know that
did you know that well it's the fact so
whatever will be said here is gonna be
brief but I would encourage you and
everybody this is exactly what Torah
especially for this is about how do we
bridge the infinite and the finite and
I'll just make the question even
stronger not just how God cares but how
what about us how high can we reach can
we touch heaven can we touch the
infinite can be touched the eternal or
are we bound to our mortal parameters
with so many people keep on trying to
tell us that you who do you think you
are what can you accomplish your one
speck accident among seven half billion
people so the answer in one unequivocal
sentence is this this God is beyond
infinite and therefore beyond Infinite
and Beyond finite and when you study the
matter of fascinating insight into ideas
and to transcendence levels that's hard
to imagine even and this God infused us
with something godly I wanted a partner
there's no jealousy going on here this
is a partnership a partnership between
something that's beyond anything that
you can even define with the defined
human being and that one sentence in the
Torah that God said I want to create an
entity in my image in the divine image
thousands and thousands of pages what
does that mean
does the divine even have an image and
how do we connect with it so I said it's
impossible to sum it up but suffice it
to say that each one of us has infinity
beating
hearts and it's about us to access it
and that's what Jews always new and
always believed and that's why we were
able to transcend all the nonsense well
sometimes it was much worse than
nonsense and all the pain and all the
suffering because we always felt that
connection with the eternal and that
when we commit to something that's
eternal in some way we become internal
everybody's looking for that Fountain of
Youth
no it's not in Cyril genic freezing and
it's not in the Pharaohs of old and it's
not in Botox and it's not all the other
type of gimmicks it's in allowing your
soul to dominate your life and the soul
is eternal this holds a piece of God in
its own way and can allow us to touch
the highest of the high and allow God
the highest of the high to touch us in
one fusion one marriage of heaven and
earth so we'll just say concluding line
each of us can be do that yeah I want to
say this this will be one of the last
sessions I think I have one more panel
after this I want to thank you all
personally it's uh to me I was always
training I always grew up knowing that
the most dignified thing of all is the
intersecting of souls of kindred spirits
and even if we may or have different
opinions or come from different
backgrounds the beauty the harmony
within diversity is the ultimate goal
just talking about touching the infinite
we touch the infinite when we love each
other
when we transcend our own self-interest
and our own boundaries and we connect
and I want to thank you all for the
happening this making this connection
some of us actually met each other and I
hopefully we could all say hello before
we each go back to our journeys wherever
we are and hopefully we can bring a
taste of this infinity to the finite
worlds wherever we will go so thank you
so much
I second that
and share with you this final remark
there was a little girl standing at the
beach as the tide was retreating the
ocean spit out scores and scores of
starfish the little girl felt belt bad
for the starfish if she kept on picking
up Beach starfish and throwing it back
into the water to give it back its life
and one old cynic goes over ten says you
foolish little girl this modest Beach
stretches for miles and miles even if
you stand all day you are accomplishing
nothing you're not making a difference
there are millions and millions of lives
of starfish being stranded here on the
shores you're doing nothing you're
making no difference little girl picks
up one starfish and she throws it into
the water she looks at this old sinner
country says for this one I made all the
difference my dear friends there is one
human being for whom you can make all
the difference
use your influence thank you
[Applause]
[Music]
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