Walking the Stormy Sea: Lessons for Navigating Our Life's Most Unpassable Moments

Heat. Heat. [music] [singing] [music] [singing] >> [music and singing] [music and singing] >> Welcome everyone and biata. We are in a very apicious week. Many many great sadikim have their yard sight around this time and many miracles. It's a week of miracles. The first couple weeks of Shvat leading up to Tishat, we're in that transition time. But I will tell you that we have quite a story to tell today and hopefully it'll be a uh what I'm sharing with you that we should navigate the storm. And I don't mean just the storm of the United States which has affected 40 states which is um uh significant. It's a significant thing when something is that global. Again there is a it's like a a national macaka of sorts. We could question the timing of it and um it's certainly something Hashem has asked us to take note of. I think that million people lost electricity. This is not a small thing. Um hopefully everybody's safe and and sheltered and the shels are operating and everything's going on well. Uh but also we we are watching carefully as the military might of the United States and its allies including Israel has been um been relocating this entire past week zeroing in on the uh straits of Hermuz circling around Iran. And it seems that uh it's a game of who's going to shoot first and we shouldn't be in in that target. We shouldn't be part of that. But no one can possibly predict as we're talking now exactly what the outcome of these momentum momentous moments here in the beginning of Shvat in this incredibly magical year 5786 which we've already seen as I as I've referenced in previous shim things are happening that are global. This is not a year of quiet uh you know localized news saving the pussycat from the tree by the firemen. This is not those type of stories. everything that's going on in this year which um which has been uh an incredible one for Kai Israel in many ways has been of of uh I would say momentous proportions whether it was as we've mentioned the speeches and the declarations about the future of Israelim that took place at rashana the miraculous delivery of the katuim Trump's speech on hosana rabba in Israel, which is of course the day of judgment of the nations. Um, and then of course the dramatic events that are going on with the world, including Trump's quote unquote peace plan for Gaza, which is of deep concern and uh something that is been given so much energy and attention and now seems to be coming to a a peak situation. In addition to that, the drama over Greenland, which is another thing. It's a it's a place in which they had the world summit of the most powerful people in the world, not only in terms of governments, politics, but also wealth. And what emerged from there is something very dramatic. Again, the idea that we are at a cataclysmic moment in which places like Greenland, Greenland is significant for two reasons. One, it is the place where the missile detection where you can detect missiles coming across the world, intercontinental ballistic missiles, the defense is there because that's the only place where you can detect them in time to stop them. And there's incredible wealth there in terms of raw minerals, rare minerals which will power the future of AI and technology. These are not small things. These are again everything related to worldwide conflict and peace is going on this year and Shivat of course brings that unique dimension. It's as we said the masle of Kal Israel is Shvat because if the Jewish people have a role to play in the world is to share Torah which is symbolic of Mim. We're sharing Hashem's messages to the world. That is our job. They always will funnel through us by us whether we're aware of it or not. whether a person is observant in Torah or not, news is going to happen through them. Um, and then we have the the conflicts within the United States itself, especially regarding Minneapolis, in which we have people who seem to support those who are committing crimes, evil in the name of what is not clear uh and versus law and order. It's it's a dramatic dramatic uh thing and and um and I want to just comment on it through the lens of some things that came across my way this week both in terms of the para and in terms of some opportunity to visit Kate Sadikim including the one and only Babasali whose yard site was this past Thursday night. So let me tell you about this past week. Um the yard site we mentioned several weeks ago of the um of the Abir Yakov was the 20th of Tbase that kind of is 10 days before Shvat. Here we are we're um almost today is 8 Shvat 10th Shvat is of course the liberation of the Lebavich Rebi from prison and Thursday night was the yard site of the Babasali for Shvat. So there's been a heavy um Abu Katra connection to this to this period of time and I had marked that in my conversations on lessons with people including my desire to pay homage to the great miracle working rabbi Rabbi Yakov uh Ben Masud otherwise known as the Aberakov the most prolific most brilliant uh author teacher orator miracle worker of the you know leader of that entire clan, whose grandchild is the Babasali, whose children include illustrious illustrious um people and teachers including Aram uh and Riitzker, his children. One of them is buried in Taria and one is buried in Morocco. And I had the occasion to visit Morocco in 200 not that long ago about 10 years ago and um 16 about 10 years ago and I was able to pray at the graveside of the son of the Airaakov known as Raviak Abuer. Now, Ravitzek was named for the Aria Kadosh and his grave site is in the southern area of right on the edge of the Moroccan desert known as Tafil where the Abu Kher clan thrived until they were forced to relocate either due to the um the the terrors of the French army which took over Morocco at the beginning of the 20th century or the Arab u Moroccan Berber leaders who tormented the Jewish people who thought they were align the Jews were aligning with the French against them. Of course, that wasn't true. But of course, Jews are are always caught in the middle of those conflicts and that kind of um upended that great tranquil period. Uh but the influence of the family is powerful. uh the Pinto clan is also related to them and in fact the most prominent rabbi in all of Israel in terms of followings and uh just plain assets is currently of Beer Cheva who is a descendant and the single most prominent rabbi in Israel um in terms of the uh sphartic Moroccan community gdole. Okay. And many many people seek his uh his vice and connection. Well, I had a personal agenda in which I have wanted to go for many years to Dinamore, Egypt to pray by the Aberyakov, the illustrious head of the family and it was just on the yard site which was 25th Tabas. began to think about and I heard about going to Tavaria which is where is where Rabbi Araham is buried who died in 1912 himself was a very illustrious person but he made aliyah and made it to Taria passed away there in 1912 uh that's um 22 years after his father passed away in 1880 in Egypt so but it's Taria it's far from Bamesh and you know you have to have a full day going back and forth could be three-hour trip back and three-hour trip you know there and back and you know It's not a simple trip. And then I woke up on Wednesday morning to my great um surprise. I ded at the HOD Shul which is not my regular. I really try to dive in earlier or Nates and I was there for the minion and and they announced the bus is leaving for Taria right after Davin. And of course my uh light bulb went up in my head and said here's my chance to get to Rab Aram to to get to Rabi Abraham of Abu Sra. Uh I don't know how else I'm going to get to Taria. I don't know if where the group was going to visit the the great sadic who bunam of vora who is the pizbi's ancestor and uh although I would love to pay homage to that great saint um you know I had my agenda to go to rev to reabram and so I didn't know how far those two were apart as it turns out when I entered the cemetery my friend pointed out to me that my mashia Mosha Wolson whose Torah I've been quoting here and whose inspiration from a couple weeks ago was to go to Dav Shimon over our need for protection from these dangerous moments from Iran and other enemies and um he's buried right there at the foot of the cemetery at the entrance of the cemetery there is the the grave site of Mosha Wilson I I was shocked Mashkie the Mashk is buried right here went to Davin there and shortly thereafter I met a coll fellow who apparently tends to that graveside and there are swaram there as places to sit and dabin and I asked them where is rev a uh abeter he says I'll take you it was a twominute walk it was literally up and around I arrived at the graveside I laid down on it I dabbed form for for shalma for people uh for our families for communities for kal Israel I danced a little bit over there with my uh my friend a newfound colo friend who was maintaining Rever Wolfson's Kev not far from there and all of a sudden a man appears out of nowhere and Elijah the prophet person and he starts talking to us and just we interrupted our conversation he said I am the I am here to pay homage to Rab Arabah for saving my life how he passed away in 1912 here we are over 100 years later he was my grandfather arrived here in Taria about around 1910 or maybe a little few years earlier in the lifetime of and came to him and he was his rabbi in Morocco and he said today's lob I'm going to visit the rashb of Shimayai in meron he hired a donkey because those days those were the taxis you there were no there were no taxis there was no get there was no uh you know you couldn't hail anybody But you could get a donkey to take you from Taria to Meron. And Ra Aram turned to him to this gentleman. His name is the the grandson's name is Yuval Yuvall's grandfather and said to him, "No, stay here with me in." And he was like shocked. He goes, "What do you mean? It's like I have to go to Meon till Rashbi." He said, "Stay here with me." And in the end although he did hire the donkey and went traveled a bit towards meron he felt uncomfortable turned his donkey around came back to brah and spent the day of of uh of with him of uh the yard site. Sure enough, they find out that that year the rooftop over the over the cave where Shimon is buried collapsed and many people were killed and Rab Ram said good thing you stayed with me because otherwise you know you never know. So he was there to thank him for his life and then he said to me the following shocking thing. He said you know that the Babasali himself whose yard site was Thursday and I was to go to to Nitivo to Davin for everyone myself and everyone um said that if you make it here to it's equivalent of going to his grandfather the bureakov in Denmur Egypt. There you have it. So that was one of my great bucket list items. Um to make it to dinner, little did I know I wake up Tuesday morning, Wednesday morning, it was a Tuesday morning and and end up in very of no planning of my own and have this. So I feel like with the the message is coming uh in terms of my personal self is don't lose the opportunity to connect to the felos by great sadikim as a form of protection. And that's what we do when this goes all the way back in the Torah to the story of Moragim where we know that Yoshua and Khalif were sent by Moshe. They were the only spies who who were Zoh to bring Dastov on Israel who were able to really create a gula that the Jewish people should make it to Israel and their personal guula. And how did it come about? Well, Yoshua got a from Moshe from Moshe. So that was that. And then Khalib did not have that luxury. So he dav he went to Davin invos. This is the precedent that we have within the Jewish people all the way back to the beginning of our history that the key to Israel is and now in that vein let's go to the para for a moment the medish tells us that Mosherenu while everybody was preparing that night in other words the night of musos the night that they ate the carbon pesak right planted the blood on the door posts and also did brisma according to the uh medish multil that rashi quotes which is shocking we'll get to that in a momentu was busy mosher rabenu was seeking out atmosphing the bones of yse because kashishia there was a vow what was this vow about you think it was a selfish thing that yseph needed to go out to arat Israel well certainly he would want to be buried in arat Israel but he wasn't being buried near his father Yakov Mars Maka. He would end up being buried in which we're very grateful now that the uh government of Israel and the army of Israel have decided to expand and protect that place as a treasure for the Jewish people. It's one of the only gravesides that we know are biblically verified. It's just a tradition that goes back to time and memorial. And why did why did Mosher Rabenu pick up the atmosphuring that would take place just as they left Egypt within the week and they would end up at Yamsu. This is Shabbashur. Of course, we read Shabbashir this week. We read about Yamsuv. They needed this of Atsmos Yoseph to get out. They didn't. It wasn't because of okay, yeah, you know, I'll do you a favor. This was actually life and death for the Jewish people. If Moshe did not have the atmosph why why was that the splitting point and why did Moshe deeply understand this and and realize his task was to be the savior of the Jewish people. He needed Yoseph. He could not leave without Yoseph in hand. And that again affirms the point that it's in the in the power of the Jewish people. The power of the Jewish people is by by connecting to our great sadikim who are our leaders, spiritual leaders because we need their merit to be able to leave mit. Now going to the point of merit. This which is very very shocking and surprising. Let me explain why. Talking about the merit of getting through dark times. That's what I'm talking about. The merit of getting through dark times. We need a little help. We need some special fileos. We need to help us. give us the amuna, the strength, the inspiration, the hope, the miracles literally that pull us out of life's darkest moments literally. So what happened me says that Hashem gave Moshe of course the two mitzvos that Clal Israel absolutely needed or they would not be allowed to leave Mitzim under any circumstances. They couldn't leave. Well, why wouldn't it be good enough that the time had come to Hashem had to do his promise to Arau and take his children out of Mitra as was clearly documented in earlier in safer braces. No, it wasn't enough. Why not? What were the two mitzvah? Do a bris and do a carbon as we say in the seder quoting the from the from your blood you will live from your blood you will live which dam which two bloods blood of the circumcision of the national circumcision of the Jewish people who were largely uncircumcised except for Ley Moshe didn't have the problem and the performing of carbon pes but the says a shocking as they happened on the same night. In other words, they did the bris on the 14th, brought the carbon on the 14th, mixed the blood of the dam of circumcision and the dam of the carbon pesak, and that's what they placed on their doorposts. And because of that signi the Jews were able to avoid disaster on that dangerous night of makat in which lamash hashem had allowed the angel of death to roam freely after hashem himself performed in tandem with the malik with the malik the the uh makasaros but the mashkus was out and about and if people weren't in a safe and protected space. Their lives were at risk. How how that works is a subject of a much more detailed uh shar which we're not going to focus on today because the truth is if an Egyptian went to a Jewish house, he died anyway. And if a Jew went to an Egyptian's house, he didn't die. So what was the whole big thing about the blood on the houses? The answer is that had nothing to do with that. That had everything to do with showing Hashem merit to go out. Not whether they would live or die in Makas Bakaros. That wasn't the issue. Even if they survived Makas Bakaros, how would they merit to leave? That's what that blood was for. That was the mitzvah that gave them the follow me. So, but h but here's the question. Everybody knows that the Jews in the desert for 40 years did not perform brisma. Why? because it's too dangerous. You had to wait three days. You can't travel. Mosher Rabeno himself, his own son wasn't circumcised on his way to Egypt. And he almost cost Moshe his life because he said, "I can't give a brisk to this child. I'll have to wait, you know, uh, 3 days here in the inn on my way back to Egypt." And and and he was right. And he he did the right thing, except he delayed the brisma slightly, so he almost lost him his life. But it's absolutely correct. You do not perform a brisma and then expect people to travel. This goes back to the incident of Shrem where Shim and Ley uh forced the people of Shm to to to be circumcised thinking that they would be able to marry into Kali Israel because of what they had done to Dena uh ravaged Dena and wanted her as a wife and Kamur for his son. He wanted him he wanted to marry Dena and wanted to marry all the Jewish girls. She said no you have to be circumcised. And it says kavim on the third day when they were in pain. The third day is the worst day. You got to get past the third day to have some sort of recovery and strength. How could Hashem have asked the Jewish people to do a brisma on the very same day that they've got to do a carbon paf? Sit there at the seder with their walking sticks ready to roll. They they're in agony, right? They just performed the brisma. What do you want from them? How could that be logical in any way, shape or form that Hashem would command them to do that difficult problem? Some of say, well, they really did the brisma on the 10th when they took the PES and they were already better. But that's not what the says. If you base it on the P of the links, the blood of the D of the PES, they happened simultaneously. Yeah, I have to say it happened on the 14th. And that's what Rashi brings as that's it. How? Why? So in order to answer this, I'd like to suggest the following. The merit to leave Egypt required an act of self-sacrifice. Why? Because the of leaving Mitim was the of who was promised Israel. I mean they're leaving to go somewhere. They're leaving because they are land owners of a free land called Eratusra. But Aram was famous for what? For receiving the mitzvah, the eighth mitzvah commanded to mankind known as Brrism. Everybody got seven mitzvah. Aram got the eighth which is the beginning of the next of the remaining 613 which would be given exclusively to call Israel with some being distributed to the nations of the world based on various on what they know. You see, you can't leave Mitra without a bris. That goes out without saying because you're not going to be meriting to be identified as a child of Abraina without a brisma. It just doesn't go. But then there's something else. Aravina performed a brisma at age 99 on himself. That wasn't the brisma of an 8-year-old boy. That was a brisma with with Saka. Hashem comes to visit Amma because his life is was was in danger. And there was another factor I'd like to suggest. Remember at the beginning Moshe arrives the Jews are enthusiastic. But then after Farro adds suffering to their suffering by withholding the te and the straw. Right at that point the Jews can no longer hear the voice of Moshe. They reached a point of despair. And when you reach a point of despair there has to be a tikun. The Jewish people needed to show that they were alive. The Jewish people needed to show that they had enthusiasm. The Jewish people needed to show that they had recovered from the coats of ruach. They were no longer coat. The the the miracles had a awakened their Jewish souls. And now let's face it, they're ready to kilo sacrifice their own lives very much like and that's a the key of Arau's life was a it's not just the brisma the Jewish people performed an aes and notice what happens at the end of a instead of being uh killed been offered as a sacrifice. We offer what? An animal in exchange, a different animal, an ayal, a ram. So too, the carbon pesak is reminiscent of that alternative sacrifice where they escape with their life. Again, an act of sacrifice of brisma, but coupled with the real sacrifice of carbon pes to show what the Jewish people may be persecuted. Jewish people may have suffered. The Jewish people I despite it all remain faithful to Hashem. Do not uh withhold themselves from the brits with Hashem despite its inherent challenges and dangers. But also that way they renounce the abodizor of the world and show their complete loyalty to Hashem. If they really wanted to gain the ticket of the children of Armabinu, then the blood of Mila and the blood of Pesak needed to coincide. And in addition to that, they needed not only the Moshe but also the of Ysephic to continue that point of distinguishing them between the the rest of mankind and the miraculous Jewish people who could rely on open miracles. Now, uh I'm going to add um two more points that that I think are are are very very important and then I'll tell you a little miracle story. So the um the other very perplexing question that's in the parha has to do with the final encounter of Moshe and parro. Parro tells Moshe, he says, "Lo pani, you're not gonna you're not going to see me anymore, Mosher Rabenu." At that point, Armavinu, who's always been and been commanded to be exceedingly courteous to Parro, no matter what happened, no matter what was going on, Parro spoke to Moshe and spoke to him as a king, a sovereign. He was cavode. He was obligated to that's the that's the he was told with with an exception a very big exception first of all by makas bor it sayso that was the last you know time that they that uh Mosherenu would treat him full respect he already turns his back and walks out you don't turn your back and walk out of turned his back and parro he blessed him and left You don't see that by Moshe. You don't leave until you're dismissed. But then it gets more when he's standing by ma uh um after makas and he receives the nvua about makasos in the presence of parro which is odd because Mosher Rabenu didn't usually get nva or tila in front of parro. He had to go out of that place of idolatry to commune with Hashem. But suddenly here it's different. Moshe gets a full niba in the presence of parro and tells him about makas pakaros right and then parro uh tells him lotos froai get out. I never want to see you again. I will never see you again. And Moshe says you're right. You will not see us. And he goes out hurry angrily. Rashi says what was he angry about? Oh, because Mosha because Pyro told him, "I'll toast their frost pun. You're not going to see me anymore." Excuse me. Parro's done so many things that Moshe could have gotten angry about from the very, very beginning. And this is the line. This is what sets Moshe off to. I mean, come on. Everything that parro did is unnerving, aggravating, outrageous. And Medish adds something. Cesaro. It says that he smacked Moshe smacked parro on the face. Can you imagine what happened? All of a sudden, you're giving honor to parro. He's the king. Pet on this last round, last conversation. Not only are you acting angry, which was inappropriate in front of the king, but you're going to slap him? What transformation took place here? Where did the coveted Mus go to? And it gets even more confounding because the med says that Mosha said to parro your aadim will come bow to me cuz I'll say your avadim will bow to me but I'm not going to say the truth parro that you will bow down to me and beg me to leave out of coveted for you. He's he's protecting the cover of parro don't make parro feel bad. Give him a little cover. He's not going to gravel in front of Moshe. Oh, we know that's not true because parro in pajamas in the middle of the night, right? Parro comes to Mosha and gravels. No, no, no, no. Mosher Rabenu doesn't want to embarrass parro to his face by saying you will be graveling to me. He said your will gravel to me to give honor to parro. Excuse me. You just slapped him. You just said you're and you're still and you're giving cover to parro at the same time that you're slapping him. I don't understand the medish. It doesn't make sense. How do these midrashim work together? How do they how do they drive? So I had a thought perhaps as follows. Parro was a bore was a firstborn. He was supposed to die. The only reason why Hashem leaves parro alive is the same reason that parro's heart was hardened many times that Hashem should be parro. He wanted parro to be alive to have one more great and final strike which is what creasams if parro is not alive he doesn't rally mitim to chase cli Israel follow me he's got to remain alive so parro has to survive makasaros that's the will of hashem but guess what he did get aickle makasaros because mosha slapped him in face. The makas beharos of parro was delivered at least even on time for the original makasparos through Mosher Abenu. Then despite the fact that Mosher Rabenu had to honor parro which he did till the very end he had to show the off and the slap because Hashem was telling parro although I have taken away your free will there's still a part of you that's a Russia and it deserves misa you must understand that and Moshe delivers that message. So despite all the cavode there was one message of makas baros he had to experience makas baros and he does so in limited fashion and that's how I'd like to reconcile or suggest a reconciliation of messages so that he was included in it although not fatally we know that parro survives according to khazal even even uh creams goes on to become the king of ninvey interesting ninve because nineve is all the way up where the original kingdoms of the world gathered, Ninva is built as a reaction to the first evil and wicked ruler of the world, Nimrod, right? And then the city of Ninva was built as a reaction by the children of Shem, who didn't want this African uh despot leading them. So, they went off and built a semi-righteous city named Ninve. And of course that's the city we read about in Kipper Mona that they do chuva because they were not trying to rebel nimro against hashem completely parro becomes their leader preaching the godless of saying I went through this I was in mitro I was parro no more I will listen to hashem and when the nvi appears akin to mosher raenu he listens and not only does he listen but he puts sackloth and ashes on the animals is the strangest thing. Why would he put sackloth and ashes on the animals of Ninf? What do they what did they do wrong? He So parro was saying to himself, I remember makas bod. I remember makas de I remember all our animals being destroyed. I don't want that to happen again. He puts a simmon on them. He says even they're repenting. Hashem, please accept our chuva. which he glad which he uh does much to the constonation of Yona Hanov. Okay. So now let's move to one more important point. There were men tells us when they came to Ku Yamsuf and they were in that moment of danger there were four kitos. When you reach that darkest moment people come up with four different responses to a lifethreatening danger. And here they are. Number one, some people will commit suicide or want to commit suicide. They want to get it over with. They just want to die. They said in the face of mortal danger, that's just not, you know, it's a big issue today regarding physician assisted suicide. People don't want to face the horrors of suffering and death and they say, "I don't want to go. I'll take my own life." That is one response, not the response that the would ever endorse. Although there are elements of factoring in suffering in medical decision-m according to and that's a whole very difficult topic. They said we'll just jump in the and die. That was one response. The second response was surrender. Okay, it didn't work out. Didn't work out. Let's just go back to the old way with all the macos, with everything. After all is said and done, we must be practical. Let's go back, get our jobs back, and return to Mit. The third group was more savvy. They said, "Let's fight. We're going to fight. We'll fight to the death if need be. We're not going to throw these miracles down the drain. We'll take up arms and it'll be a mada. And if we go down fighting, we'll go down fighting. but we'll be proud Jews to the end. We'll defy, you know, Warsaw Ghetto uprising. And the fourth group said, "I don't know if any of that is worthwhile, but it's worthwhile to pray. Let's talk to Hashem. Ask Hashem for help." Which one was the correct response? And the answer is none. And this is the famous teaching of the Vil Nagon. So because what Hashem actually told Israel was that Ben is speak I don't even want youros. So the guy very very uh cleverly pointed out in the puk you see all these four groups and the truth is you can even see it in the pre preamble to those remarks. Moshe told them Moshe also dive into Hashem. Moshe also dive into Hashem. Um and and and Hashem was told Hashem told Moshe, "What do you this is not the time to dare? Let them move forward without fear." Now Moshe says to Hashem, "And what about all these opinions? Don't be afraid. Do not fall. Do not jump into mass suicide in the arm. Stand here. You will see a miracle. Your life will be spared. It's going to be now for those who want to go back to some oam. You're never going back to forget it. What about the warriors? ghetto. No, this is not the time for you to take up arms. Neither is a time to pray. So what does this mean? How is this relevant to us? And by the way, I believe they were stacked in order of attractiveness, in order of correctness. The least wise choice is to commit suicide. Although there have been occasions like that. Like I said, there was a masada. There's the case of the Jews of worms who slaughtered themselves rather than to fall in the hands of the vicious crusaders. There it is an in certain circumstances but that's not the certainly not at that point. And the second one of returning to Mitim. No, it's not the will of Hashem. You must follow the will of Hashem. Not just being practical. You can't accommodate evil. You can't just accommodate and accept evil and give up. You represent Hashem. And the third group that wanted to fight is mentioned third. That's not a bad idea, but it's not as honorable as praying to Hashem for help. Because after all, fighting yourselves without Hashem, as we learned from the Jews who try to force their way into Israel after the disappointment of the Moragim, taking up the weapons is not going to work without the miracles of Hashem. That's certainly a massive message for us today. But sometimes it's not even the time to pray. So what is it the time to do? It's time to go. It's time to move. And means says Rashi the Yam is not going to stop you. The apparent insurmountable problems are not real. You have we said about a and you earn them with your mitzvah. Him and your own merit of doing the and the fact that you had the courage. You had the courage to follow Hem says theimo, therefore the yam will split for you. What is this message here and how can we apply it to our situations both nationally and personally? So the greatest thing that the bald that our wants to convince us is that the that the problems that are you're being confronted with are real. It makes you imagine a a a an inescapable prison of sorrows and problems that can never be resolved and therefore leads you to yush to darkness to darkness that could lead to a despair that could lead to even taking one's own life. But it's a lie. It's not the truth. Theam sham says there's more to the story. There's more to the picture. Even the yam which is the fearsome yamsuf will not stand is not really real. It's part of hashem's creation and it does the will of hashem and if hashem tells it to split it's going to split. Your challenge is to believe that hashem can split it and not to believe in the facade of the yamsuf that it's impenetrable. Now lately I've been listening to lectures from a again always a Jew a brilliant Jewish theoretical physicist named Fineman Richard Fineman h fy m- an uh of theoretical physics I think at Caltech he he actually worked on the atom bomb projects he's a brilliant brilliant man out of the box thinker and He explained many of the mysteries of the universe about time, what time really is, about um theories of relativity, but also he explained that there is no matter. Matter is is a lie. Well, you say, "What do you mean? I just put my finger on this table and it feels hard." And he says, "Yeah, but that's not there's nothing there. What you are feeling is a rush of elect of electrons rushing to meet your desire to invade that space. You lift your finger, those electrons are gone. There's nothing really there. You think it's a table, it's a chair, it's finite. Go to the subatomic level. You will be shocked that these subatomic particles appear, disappear, they show up for a billionth of a second, they leave. They're a fuzzy reality. They're neither here, they're not there. It's not what you think. It's not what you think. Reality is not concrete. And the mysteries of the universe are still being uncovered by research that keeps coming and every day every day revises our assumptions about what can and what cannot be. One of my favorite ones like was that was what they discovered on Pluto. This is amazing story. The Voyager aircraft was sent out in the 70s, shot out to the edge of the Milky uh the edge of our of our known galaxy, excuse me, our own, you know, whatever constellation of planets. And it did a pass by of Pluto uh about 10 years ago. And what it discovered was that what everybody thought was a dead rock, just a cold rock, turned out to be a sthing underground magnetic volcanic uh living planet that was spewing out volcanoes of snow and ice. Because by the time the heat got to the surface, they and you would look at it, it looked like a freshly there's a heart on the on on the surface of of Pluto, which is like clean virgin snow. How could you have clean virgin snow? It's supposed to be a dead rock. No, no, no. Surprise, surprise. Things are not what it seems. Never what it seems. There really is a mirage of tea. And that is the amazing lesson of creas yamsuf once and for all time. It just needed to be shown once that don't think that the yams is a yamsuf and will always be a yamsuf. It can change as the will of hashem into empty space, dry space. And that's also reality. Don't be fooled. Don't be a fool. And don't be fooled. Now, how how who's going to remind us to be so focused on Hashem that reality is no longer reality? The Sad had a deacon. And I'll give you one simple example. The Babasali, he did many miracles in which for example, he would pour one bottle of Arach for hundreds and hundreds of guests, thousands of shots. He performed many miracles with his Arach. Somebody was sick, he would give them arch. they would be able to walk. Someone with had a heart condition. He gave them arak their heart was healed. There are many many many stories that there are stories about his car and he used to travel with a gaba around that it had no gas and yet it would travel and there were occasions where he told him put water in the tank. Water? How you going to how you going to drive on water to the Babasali? There was no difference between water and gasoline. Maybe he put some Iraq in the tank also. I'm not sure. But either way, they got there and the minute they got there, the car dropped dead. But the in our generation, he died in 1984, ple ladies and gentlemen, he died recently and he was able to show us in his daily life. One story that I heard when I was back in yeshiva going back to, you know, days before he passed. They tell a story about two robbers that came into his house and they wanted to rob because, you know, Abuhaya rabbis get a lot of donations. give out a lot of saddaka and uh there must be a lot of money in there. So they go in looking for stuff to steal. They wrap up who knows what in in their bags and they try to leave but they can't find the door. Wherever they look, there's no door. They look for a window. There's no windows. All of a sudden the Babasali comes in. It's the middle of the night and ah they're shocked. They drop everything and sure enough there's the door and they run out. In other words, this I'll tell you the deepest thing that I heard again you have to have the amuna that's quoted here in this rashi that things are just not what they seem. But now we can explain it a little bit better. Back then in 1980s Kabad touts this a lot that there's a special connection between the Babasha Sali and Baba. Now, it's interesting that Lavich were one of the first people in the early 50s who sent emissaries after World War II to Morocco to revitalize the community which had become very unfortunately frankified. In other words, the French secular uh lifestyle had invaded 50 years earlier around 1900 1906 and many of the Jews assimilated. But there are still many many faithful Jews and they sent Rabam to to the classic and I was in one of them. I saw at least the room where it was when I visited Rabbi Yuker's graveside and um so they had apparently a mental communication. The Babasali was was locked up in his room often and was told never to be disturbed. Okay. But he was having conversations and he was learning. Who knows who was there? And same similarly about Biryakov. But it was said that there's like today you you'd have a a a conference call or a WhatsApp call. There was no need for WhatsApp between the Baba and Babasali. when there was an issue or when they needed to learn something from each other or ask a question, they just went on to the Toddic Wi-Fi. Now we understand it much much better. But then it was a reality. There was no phone. There was no Now everybody can do it. Big deal. I can talk to anybody I want anywhere in the world, right? And more than that, I can see the person anywhere. You can have a full arbaim interview. These are the stories that they tell. And that means the yose fatic bones which is what every tadic is imbued with part of that is what splits the yams. What will get us through our most dark and serious problems. They're not what it seems. Halavi. We don't have to listen 100% to everything a doctor says to everything a expert says makes the decisions. There are many medical miracles that are unexplained and the doctors will go on because it's mathematical research and it is an anomaly. Okay, so there are anomalies. There are medical miracles. That doesn't mean that that it's over that it's a death sentence. It doesn't mean that their pronouncements are are the truth. it doesn't mean that things can't change. So what I want to share with you just to conclude is a special sigula that's going to be for this coming Sunday the yard site of Abu of Morocco of Tafil where I was z to visit the brother of the one who's buried in the uncle of the babasali where I visited Thursday night okay come from cycle and it's the school of arak the school is as follows this Sunday or Mat Shabas, buy one bottle of Arach and davin for one specific Yeshua that you are looking for. Whether it be health, whether it be child related, whether it be financial, whether it be just for Claw Israel, whatever it is that you want to do for say out that you are that you're praying for this and you're praying for this. Pick one item, right? stay focused and then put a label with the prayer on it and say do not open until next 14th of which is the yard site right I guess you can open it for two bishvat of next year and share it he says if the miracle comes true share your bottle with everybody and tell them about the miracle I urge you everybody we need help [laughter] we all need help we need protection from missiles of Iran. We need protection from theum that we're experiencing with each other. We need help from winter storms in America and and terrible terrible turmoil and uh anti-semitism and mayors that are just, you know, Israel in ways we've never seen before. And in a turbulent world on teetering on the balance of the global conflict, take a bottle of Arach. Daven for one thing, put it away in your cabinet. Write it down. And next year, a year from now, let's open these bottles and we'll share the miracle stories that we experienced. Bunni, Mizeni, Parnasa, Gazunt, all the good things. Knock us from the children. Shambias, medical miracles, protection, protection and the splitting of all those red seas which represent the sorrowus and problems real or imagined that we're confronted with in our darkest times. So in this we should see real things are happening that are Hashem is showing himself in the world. Let's celebrate that. Let's be the voice in his miracles. And hem we should all sing Shira the real Shiraashu. Have a wonderful meaningful week. We shall see. >> Can I ask a question? >> How much how much are we supposed to drink? >> Good question. Uh you don't drink it. You buy it. >> Yeah. >> A bottle and you set it aside. It's kosher for pesaf, so don't worry. and you you attach to it or you put with it a note of what you do for this Sunday which is the 14th of Shvat coming up and then next year if the if the matter has come as per your prayers share that bottle with friends, family, others bring it to shul give outs and tell the story of how you and Hashem answered you in this of this and that's what they really want to do. They want to get a Moshe and Yoseph the ultimate sadikim. They want to get us through the get us through life's most frightening, difficult, darkest moments. Go just go forward without fear. That's the message. Okay. [music] My birthday [singing] [music] [singing] [music and singing] [music] [singing]