You Have Chosen Us From Among All The Peoples and You Have Loved Us and Favored Us with Rabbi Poston

[music] [singing] [music] [singing] [music and singing] >> Shalom aleikhem everybody. Welcome back to the Eden Beit Midrash. Welcome home to Torah. On these Sunday nights after Rabbi Flax, we give over a safer Rabbi Rabbi Chaim Friedlander. He was a student of Rabbi Dessler. Um he was um Menahel Ruchani in a Mashgiach in the Ponevezh Yeshiva. Now, this safer is specifically dealing with the prayers of the Chagim of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, of the Yamim Noraim. And when we pray during those days, we're praying for the whole year. >> [snorts] >> And this this safer is just chock-full of yesodot, fundamentals in our hashkafah, in our outlook. And it pretty much goes into like Iyun Tefillah. That is the theme of Sunday nights. Right? Tefillah b'Iyun. Right? We went We're going through the brachot in the morning and waiting till we get into Shemoneh Esrei. This is with Rabbi Flax. And with me, we're using the safer. So, we are on page I think it's 30 seven. Yeah, 37. So, you have it on your sheets. The Birkat Kedushat Hayom. Okay? So, in the Amidah, we are mentioning words about the holiness of the day. The holiness of the day. And it's not just in the tefillah, you'll notice these are the words we use in the Kiddush. Okay? Some of us are more familiar. Atah b'chartanu mikol ha'amim. Right? We're saying, "And you, Hashem, you have chosen us from all of the nations, all of the peoples." >> [snorts] >> Now, when were we chosen? When did we become chosen? We do have skuta'avot. God made a promise to Avraham, to Yitzchak, to Yaakov. But, b'sha'at yetzi'at Mitzrayim. When we left Egypt, and we're standing now, right? Halfway point between Pesach and Shavuot. So, there are the counting of the Omer, which is parallel, believe it or not, to the You know, we had we were in 49th level of tumah, and we're coming out, not just coming out, we're exceeding to the 49th level of kedushah in order to receive the Torah, which means we're going through a transformation, hopefully, within our middot, within our thought process. So, at the time of the leaving of Egypt, b'chirat Hashem b'Yisrael, he mitzido Yisbarakh mipnei shekak ratzah. God chose Israel. God chose the Jewish people because he decided, from mitzado, from his own will. And that that's the way it was. It had nothing to do with us being rui, with us being fit, with us In fact, we weren't fit. We were 49 levels minus, right? Believe it or not, after 49 days, we're at the 49 level plus. If you think about it, what it should have been, we should have been at zero, right? But, we weren't. There was a transformation into the positive, from the negative to the positive. It was Hashem, even though we were not fit. Af shelo hayinu ruiin, hu bacharbanu. Even though we weren't really fit, he chose us anyway. And that's what we mean when we say, "Atah b'chartanu, you are the one that chose us." Now, ahavto otanu. What do these words sound like? We say this every single day in the Shema. It's part of the part of the the birkot of the the blessings of the Shema. Ahavat Olam beit Yisrael amekha ahavta. Right? Those words, "With an everlasting love." I just remember Rav Nachman Weinberg when he said the bracha, it was like I don't know. He was elevated. He was like levitating. He was And it with such depth, just those words, that "With an everlasting love, you have loved the house of Israel, your people." But, he says like this, "Ahavto otanu b'matan Torah, at the giving of the Torah." Ki v'zeh bo lidei bituy ahavah hagdolah shel Hashem Yisbarakh Yisrael. This was by the giving of the Torah. Right? We're talking about not just the instruction manual, but the for mankind and how we should live, but the secrets of the universe. Okay? He gave it to us. We were 3 million people standing in the desert, and he gave it to us. He didn't give it to anybody else. He gave it to us to transmit to the world, to transmit first of all to our own children by transforming ourselves. And we know the world doesn't look so highly on the Jewish people for some reason. I will say part of it because of the word Sinai. At Sinai, sin'ah came into wrote, hatred came into wrote. Who wouldn't be jealous? Well, guess what? They can join us. They can join us as full-fledged Jews, or they can join us as Bnei Noach, as nations of the world who will help the priests do what they need to do. We are the um we are the um the priests of the nations. But, anyway, let's stick to the words. Ki v'zeh bo lidei bituy. This was how his love was expressed, his great love, by giving the Torah to the Jewish people. K'mo she'anu omrim, like we say in the bracha of K'riat Shema, Ahavat Olam beit Yisrael amekha ahavta. Right? That you loved us with an ever everlasting love. You love the Jewish people. You love your nation. Uv'mah mitbatet ahavah hagdolah? How is this great love expressed? Torah u'mitzvot. TM, right? TM. Not Transcendental Meditation, but Torah and mitzvot. Chukim u'mishpatim otanu limad'ta. This is all part of all Again, Birkat K'riat Shema. We say these words, "You have taught us Torah u'mitzvot, decrees and laws." He taught us. And we are his children, as we'll see also. >> [snorts] >> Now, we're going to get into a some Pirkei Avot a little bit. But, anyway, let's continue, and then we'll go into the Pirkei Avot. V'retzeita'anu. You desired us. This is the words we use in the Kiddush. These are the words we use on the davening of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and in fact, all the Chagim. And when do we say you desired us? Af acharei chet ha'egel. Even after we sinned one of the most serious violations, crimes of worshipping, making and worshipping the the the calf, this golden calf. L'chora acharei chet chamor zeh, it's only natural, right? After such a serious sin, hayatsak l'yotzei K'dosh Baruch Hu yit rachek me'am Yisrael. That Hashem should have distanced himself. He should have um kept away from the Jewish people. Ach, however, al yedei teshuvat Yisrael u'tefillat Moshe, through our own regret and transformation of getting rid of this sin, as well as Moses' own own prayer, k'she'alah l'Har Sinai b'pa'am shlishit, when he went up finally for the third time, When did he go up for the third time? From Rosh Chodesh Elul until Yom Kippur. Why do we know that's the third time? So, at least according to Rashi's timeline, right? We left Egypt on the 15th of 15th of Nissan. We left in the morning, on Thursday morning, the 15th of Nissan. And then, 40 50 days later, it was Shavuot. So, could have been the 6th or 7th of Sivan. Okay? So, that's Shavuot, 50 days after we leave Egypt. And then, the following day, um God says, "Come back up and receive the tablets." And 40 days later was the 17th of Tammuz. Of course, we sinned with the golden calf. On the 18th of Tammuz, Moses goes back up and prays on our behalf. And on the 1st of Elul, God says, "I forgive the Jewish people. Come up for 40 more days, and you'll receive the second set of tablets." 40 days from Rosh Chodesh is Yom Kippur. Nirtzah K'dosh Baruch Hu Yisrael b'simchah. Hashem actually forgave the Jewish people b'simchah, with joy. Nirtzeh, we were appeased. Now, I want to look at this verse in Rashi. This is in Deuteronomy, chapter 9, verse 18. Moses says, "And I fell down before the Lord as before." So, he is coming back a second time. "40 days and 40 nights I neither ate bread nor drank water, because all your sins because of all your sins you had committed by doing evil in the lives of the Lord to anger him. But this was God's decision to give us the second set of tablets and and forgive us. Let's look at Rashi real quick on Deuteronomy 9:18. You don't have it on your sheet. When Moses says that Palel Hashem he's saying it's a second time cuz he's saying just as I did the first time. As it says and now I shall send to Hashem perhaps I can cleanse. The word is a kapara. In that ascent I remained on the mountain for 40 days and the 40 days were found to have ended on the 29th of Av which means the following day is the 1st of Elul. Moses ascended and Moses ascended on the 18th of Tammuz. That was the day after the sin of the golden calf and the Holy One blessed be was reconciled toward Israel and he said to Moses to carve out the second set of tablets. But it says over here in Rashi regarding the this day Yom Kippur the 10th of Tishrei on that day the Holy One blessed be was reconciled towards Israel joyously. Okay? And that's why Yom Kippur is a day of forgiveness till this very day. The day itself is chock-full of forgiveness. And we actually feel it. It's not just an intellectual exercise. We all feel it. Then the blessing in the in the in the Shmoneh Esrei or the Amidah Romam Tanum Kol Halashonot we say you have raised us above all tongues. Lashonot really means nations. Right? Each nation is distinct in their language. Lo Zul Lo Zul Bilvad Shishlacha Avoneinu it's not only that he forgave our sin V'ratzita Banu K'mikodem but he desired us like he originally desired us. There was this love and desire for us like from the beginning. Elishonam Tanu O Yoter not only that we were exalted even higher on Yom Kippur. Uvisha'as Ratzon Zu and at this we call it favorable time Na'aneta L'Moshe Shibikeish God answered Moses what he had originally requested and this you'll find in Exodus 33:16 and we'll also read the Rashi. V'niflinu Ani V'Imcha Mi Kol Ha'am. Moses is saying separate us. The word Niflinu it's a very awkward word but Rashi explains and everyone understands it and there's proof that it means to distinguish us to separate us. And your people separate me and your people from all of the nations Asher Al Pnei Ha'adamah which are on the face of the earth. And not only that Moses also requested Sh'lo Tishrach Sh'chinatcha Od Al Umos Ha'olam that his divine presence his unique relationship should not rest with the with the nations of the world. Only the Jewish people. And let's look real quick at the Rashi. We said it's 33:16. Rashi says well let's look at the pasuk the whole pasuk. How then will it be known that I have found favor in your eyes? Moses was begging for our forgiveness. I and your people not just Moses alone. And in fact Moses didn't even worship the golden calf. But we know this is a well-known thing in Judaism. Christianity just swept it under the you know pulled the carpet or pulled the tablecloth. Right? That our leaders are responsible for the Jewish people's and sins as well as merits. So Moses took responsibility as well begging for forgiveness. I and your people is it not through your going with us? So God originally said you know I'm going to send an angel. I'm not going to go with you but Moses says no no no. We're going to go if you go and you take us with you. So that was part of Moses' request right there. And I and your people should be set apart from all the people who are on the face of the earth. Very clearly it says V'niflinu Ani V'Imcha Mi Kol Ha'am. Those are the words we just read. So Rashi mentions how will you how will the finding favor be known? Moses wants to know. Is it not through your going with us? If you go with us which Hashem did shows that he had forgiven us and he had found favors with us. And I ask yet another thing from you that you should no longer rest your Shechinah upon any other nations of the world. I'm I'm going to talk about that in a second and you and and I and your people should be set apart. Okay? And we will be separate in this matter from all the people. Meaning Hashem this is by the the the plague with the um with the pestilence of the animals clearly in I'll tell you where in um chapter 9:4 of Exodus where God says to set the basically the idea is that the animals should be separate. Hashem will separate between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of the of the non-Jews. The word Niflinu is used. Okay? Um the Hiflah Hashem Bein Mikneh Yisrael that God separated. He he was able to distinguish between the animals of the Egyptians and the animals of the Jews. That word is to distinguish and that's the word. We are distinguished nation. We are unique and we are separate. Okay? So now the clear cut the clear cut the um Rabbi Chaim Friedlander continues and he says also in Exodus 34 10 God says outright Hinei Anochi Koreh S'firat. This is after the sin already. I am going to make a covenant with you. And what is this? Al Zot Neged Kol Amcha Esah Niflaot. Right? This verse Right. So 34:10. He said behold I enter covenant before your entire people I will make distinctions such as have never been created in the entire world and among all the creations. And the entire people in whose might you are will see the work of Hashem for it is awesome that I'm about to do with you. Again that Hashem separated us. That word again is used. Niflaot. And um Rashi says I will make a distinction Lashon Niflinu like the like the pasuk we just read in um 33:16. So it's clear that there is this distinction being made. And that's what we're saying Romamtanu Kol Halashonot you have raised us up above all the other nations. Lashon Havdalah that's what this word Nifleta right? That's what the word is. We are separate. It's a language of separation. She Tihyu Muvdalim Kol Ha'amim Bitzurah Boleted wait to hear this. We're going to be separated from all the other nations in a like a form that is so obvious. It is Boleted it is protruding in a certain way. It is so obvious. She Rak Alaychem Tishreh Sh'chinah V'lo Alayhem that the Shechinah will only rest on us and not on the other nations. And and this is what it means Romamtanu Kol Halashonot that we will be raised and exalted above all the other nations. Now L'chora Yesh L'shoel Madua Bikeish Zot Davka Acharei Ha'Cheit. Why is all this you know conversation this dialogue between Moses and God specifically taking place after the sin? Ki Yesh Sibah She Big She Big She She Biglala She Cheit Yikablu Ma'alah Nosefet. Why is this idea of us being even more elevated taking place after the sin? It doesn't make sense. If anything we should be lower or at best back on the same level. But that's the the the dialogue is taking place that we are being chosen we're we're having this covenant that God loves us with an everlasting love and he's even making us a higher status as the result of the sin of the golden calf which really boggles the mind. Why should it be? Well he says truly there is an answer. And the answer is Ki B'makom Shebalei Tuvim Aint Sadiq we have this statement this famous statement that in the very place that a bout shuva someone who had sinned and repented and came back into the fold and was forgiven he can stand in a place that even people who never sinned they're not able to stand. It's very interesting clear the car that goes off on how this can be but many people speak about it so the elevation of someone who sinned and now let's say you know not just repent but repented fully has a higher standing in God's eyes God is giving them wow you went down like it says about it Sadiq who's it Sadiq someone who fell down seven time but they got up every time. Okay so there's something unique about someone who falls and is able to stand up again. Lashon Acharyash Sutchuva Alchet therefore after the Jewish people had sinned with the golden calf they sinned I am Makom the Bakasha Zoo there is place to make such a request that we should even be elevated even greater. The Kidish Tanoo the Mitzvah is Seka we know that the word Kidush has to do with again a separation but we're going to use this the standard vernacular of sanctify there is a certain sanctification that we experience when we do the Mitzvahs. Taf Kida Mitzvah Zoo Lakada Zoo Tanoo the function of the Mitzvahs is to sanctify us to make us holy. The Cole Mitzvah No Sefit Adam Mosifin Low Old Kadusha every additional Mitzvah that a person does there's an increase in holiness. The Hakadusha Ba'atzma Zoo Ya Skhasha Adam that the actual holiness and sanctity itself is the reward that a person receives for doing a Mitzvah. Uh Rabbi Flax spoke about attachment and connection and the Vegas the last class I spoke about the Atbash of the word Mitzvah how the last two letters is Vuv and Hey and the first two letters the Mem Sadiq in the Atbash is really Yudin Hey and we're not just attaching the Yudin Hey to the Vuv and Hey which was last week's sheer Rabbi Flax but that we ourselves are bringing Hashem into the world in a transformative way. Okay so you have to go back and review last week's sheer but it says in Pirkei Avot Shuskar Mitzvah Mitzvah the very reward for the Mitzvah the doing a Mitzvah is a Mitzvah what does that mean? A and meaning another Mitzvah you you like God will bring you the way you want to go like Rabbi Flax said so if you want to do Mitzvahs you want to close come close to Hashem Hashem will grant you more opportunities to come close to Hashem it's just simple math. Kalama Has Kara Halimitzvah Who Kadusha the Mitzvah Atzma that as if we're saying that the reward for the Mitzvah is the holiness of the Mitzvah itself Hamaki Faessa Adam that surrounds or envelopes we're talking about light bring God into the world you're becoming more godly there's some kind of Makif of the person something that is surrounding the person envelopes the person. Zigorim Masila Sod Mitzvahs No Sefis remember the word Messiah Low Rabbi Flax also spoke this you get additional help from heaven so when a person does a Mitzvah and the light is going to surround him this causes and it's actually assists in doing additional Mitzvahs Sola Hit Kadish Od Yo Ter in order for us to become even more I'm going to use the word holy sanctified. But I want to just stop and this little class with a statement from Pirkei Avot and that is in chapter 3 Mishna 18 Rabbi Akiva Rabbi Akiva used to say beloved is man for he was created in God's image so in the Hebrew it's Haviva Adam Shinivra Betzalem in other words God loved man so much we didn't create any other animal any other being in his image but what is his image? I think I spoke about this before he has no image but it must be his main I'm going to say character trait that sticks out that's Bolet and that is he's the ultimate in free will [snorts] the ultimate he could do whatever he wants but we're created in his image so we're just like an image of free will we have a limited amount of free will but that's what we have right animals run on pure instinct right we don't call the lion the the killing hyena a murderer he's just doing that to survive and he's not going to pay any price we on the other hand we're created in God's image we have free will but God gave as an extra gesture of love to the Jewish people the knowledge that we have free will says in the Torah right I give I place before you life and death good and evil choose he's telling us never you have the ability to choose choose he wants you to choose good he wants you to choose life but that's the ability to choose is called free will. So Haviv Adam Shinivra Betzalem how dear is mankind and this includes non-Jews as well okay there may be a discussion of the the amount of free will but we have to have respect for all of mankind and they have free will they're created in the image of God Haviva Yisrael Noda Lo Shinivra Betzalem [snorts] but he let man know out of an extra gesture of love that he was created in God's image and that is the Torah it's called a Kli Hemda or as I like to call it a clear car right a precious vessel and how do we know because it says Keep It Salem Elohim Osos Adam now keep in mind that this is in Genesis chapter 9 verse 6 this was told to Noach okay that in in the in the image of God God created man yes it's true that in earlier in Genesis chapter 20 chapter 1 verse 25 says very similar but this is the source Haviv Yisrael how dear is Israel Shinikru Banim Lo Makom that the Jewish people are called children now I had a little bit of a problem with this cuz I'm a universalist why aren't they called children aren't all human beings the children of God? So there is a possic where Moses talks to Pharaoh and he says these are your firstborn so it could be we're all children but we're the firstborn but in the meantime the Jewish people even when we sin we are still called the children of Hashem and that is a lot of what this this Pirkei Avot likes to talk about. Um I will just mention cuz there's so much here I'll just read one little paragraph and we'll end Jew and Gentile alike all men must therefore be accorded proper respect and one must deal with them honestly and forthrightly. In his Beer Gaola notes to Choshen Mishpat Rav Moshe Rivkash writes with uncharac- uncharac- characteristic of the proper attitude to adopt in business dealings with non-Jews just as one should return a lost object to a non-Jew in order to sanctify God's name and to portray Jews as honest and loyal people so should one not exploit a monetary mistake made by a non-Jew he writes I write this for posterity for I saw many who became great and wealthy through dishonest dealings with non-Jews only to see their fortunes disappear allowing them to leave nothing for their children those who sanctify the name of God by returning even sizeable sums of money which were earned through oversight of non-Jews were blessed with great fortune and success the Tanna De Bei Eliyahu tells of one who sold dates to a non-Jew cheated him on the weight with the profit he earned from this a Larson of sale he thought he bought a pitcher of oil which cracked in transport and spilled out completely Eliyahu Hanavi commented blessed is the omnipresent who shows no favoritism we are taught that one may not steal even from a non-Jew okay so there's a lot really to say but this was a short synopsis of the paragraph from Rinas Chaim Rabbi Friedlander and we'll continue this next week. Shua Shua >> [music] >> Yifane Yifane Yifane >> [singing] >> Yifane Yifane Yifane Yifane >> [music] >> Yifane Yifane Yifane Yifane Yifane [music] Yifane >> [singing] >> Yifane Yifane Yifane Yifane Yifane Yifane tonight. [music and singing] I'm going to see you tonight. Yes, I'm going to see you >> [music and singing] >> tonight. Oh, I'm going to see you tonight. Oh, yeah.