Thinking Talmudist Podcast · Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe

00:00 - Intro (Announcement)
You are listening to Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe of TORCH in Houston, Texas. This is the Thinking Talmudist Podcast.

00:13 - Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe (Host)
Welcome back everybody to the Thinking Talmudist. Good afternoon, it is so wonderful to be here. I'd like to dedicate today's Talmud class to the loving memory of Yaakov Levi Yosef Ben Yehuda Aryeh, of Blessed Memory. May his Neshama have an aliyah. It was dedicated by his brother, a dear friend of mine, yonah and Dvoronathan, and may everything that we learn, all the inspiration that we have today, be in the memory and the aliyah of the Neshama of Yaakov Levi Yosef Ben Yehuda Aryeh.

00:49
Last week, we discussed the responsibilities that the nations of the world have, that they're going to be held accountable for their actions or inactions on behalf of the Jewish people. Now, what's clear and what we need to crystallize for ourselves is the idea that we don't have a free ride either. We don't have a free ride. They're going to be held accountable as well if we don't perform our responsibilities. So before we start looking at the nations of the world and continuing this Talmud in Tractedavodhisarra 3a, before we start understanding how the nations of the world are going to be held accountable, we need to realize that we are going to also be held accountable if we don't live up to our expectations, the expectations that the Almighty has set forth in His Torah. So the responsibility is not only on the nations of the world. Oh, why didn't you do this? Why didn't you do that? God put you into this world to do certain things. It's also going to be, and most importantly, us. We are held accountable if we fall short of our responsibilities, of our duties. So last week we mentioned that the nations of the world are going to be held accountable. We brought the kingdom of Rome, we brought the kingdom of Persia, where they're going to be held accountable, where God's going to say what did you do for the world? What did you do for the Jewish people? They were like what do you mean? We made the marketplace. God says no, you didn't make the marketplaces to help the Jews. You made marketplaces so that you can solicit inappropriate behavior. Why did you build bridges? You built bridges so that you can collect taxes. Bridge gates ie the New York Port Authority, all of the. You did it for your own reasons. You didn't do it. Don't say that. You did it to help the Jew. And the world is going to be held accountable.

02:55
So now the Talmud we left off last week says that the nations of the world are also going to be held accountable, whether or not they fulfill the seven Archeid laws. The seven Archeid laws are not Jewish exclusive. They are world exclusive. Every single human being is obligated to the seven Archeid laws.

03:18
We mentioned last week that the Ram Bam says that if someone wants to accept the seven laws and be among the righteous of the nations that follow the seven Archeid laws, they need to declare because one of them is that I'm not going to have an idol, I'm not going to worship idolatry. So what is one needing to do? They need to denounce any idol and idol worship and declare that their only God is Hashem Elokeinu, hashem אחד, hashem, our God, hashem is one. That's it. And then they need to accept upon themselves the seven Archeid laws and then they are ready to roll. Joe, go live a good life. And, by the way, as long as you eat food that was slaughtered prior, the nations of the world don't have an obligation to eat kosher. They can eat shellfish, they can eat all of those things, but it has to be after the animal was slaughtered. They can't just take the leg off a pig, the nations of the world, and throw it on the grill. You've got to. The animal has to be put to death first and then it can be utilized as food as for consumption.

04:38
So the Gomorrah says and from where do we know that the Gentiles do not observe the seven Archeid laws? Because, if you remember, the Talmud says that really they're going to be punished because they really didn't observe it anyway. They got the seven Archeid laws and they didn't observe it anyway. So the Gomorrah says how do you know that they did not observe it? So the Gomorrah answers Rev Yosef taught the following Brisa.

05:04
The verse states he stood and measured out the land. He saw and dispersed the nations Myra, or what did he see? He saw Ra Shev, amitzvot, shekhiblualein bine noach velokimum. He saw the seven commandments that the descendants of noach had accepted upon themselves but did not observe Kavon, shalokimum, since they did not observe them. Amad v Tironlehem, since they did not observe them, he stood and released the commandments from them, meaning they are no longer obligated to heed the noachide laws altogether.

05:37
The Gomorrah asks and wonders what are you talking about, idgure, idgur? Have they then benefited by their indiscretions? You're telling them, basically, you're not going to follow my instructions, I'll just erase the laws, right? This is not the Democrat Party. I mean. This is you're talking about. This is like imkayin matzinu chotan niskar. If so, we find a case where a sinner has profited through his transgressions. You can cause, you can do a crime and not be held accountable because we just changed the laws so that we circumvent the law-breaking meaning. We're saying, oh, they're not going to observe the seven noachide laws anyway, so they're not obligated to it. That's not the way things work. The Gomorrah explains the Bryce's statement. Omar Marbaraid, ravino Mar, the son of Ravino, said. He says no, this is what the Bryce means to say Sh'afal pi sh'imikayim min oson.

06:38
God decreed that even if the descendants of noach fulfill the commandments, ayin mekablan, alein ch'achar, they do not receive reward for obeying them Means. Even if they do observe, they still don't get the reward. What's the obvious question? Huh Right, yeah, that huh Right. What do you mean? They don't receive the reward. They did it, they should receive the reward. The Gomorrah objects to the notion that noachides do not receive reward for adhering to the noachide code. Velo. But is it true that they do not receive reward? Vatan ya, he was taught in a Bryce. Oh, you're a mayor, oh, mayor used to say minayin sh'afilo ov de kachav ov et kachav ve osik batorah shu-hu ke kohin gado.

07:24
And where do we know that even an idol worshiper who has occupied his time studying Torah is like the High Priest? Talmud Lomar brings a verse from the Torah that says Ashe, yasser, osom, haodom, vechai Bohem. The verse states my laws and my decrees, which man shall carry out and by which he shall live, doesn't say Jew. It says man. Man refers to anyone Kohanim, levim v Yisraelim Lonemar. It doesn't specify only the Kohanim, the Levites or the priests, the Levites or the Israelites, el-odom. It says man. What does it mean when it says man HaLomadetah? From here you learn Shaa'afi'lo'ovet kohav v'osik pa Torah, harayhuk e-kohein g'adol. From here we learn that even a Gentile who studies Torah is considered holy and righteous like the high priest in the temple.

08:32
Apparently, even idolaters do receive reward for keeping the seven Ahai'los. The Gomorrah therefore answers so that's a question, right? So what are you telling me? That they don't get reward? El-o-malach, rather, the bricer means to tell you Sh'ein me ka'blin alay'n tschar ke mitzuv e-ve-ose. They do not receive reward like one who performs a precept having been commanded to do so El-O-Kemish e-enum tzu'e-ve-ose, but rather they receive less reward, like one who performs a precept without having been commanded to do so.

09:11
Let me bring a scenario. Doctor, you're going to love this scenario. How many times do parents come to you with their children and they say we ask our son to help bring in the groceries from the car and he doesn't want to help. But when the neighbor pulls up, they're there to help the neighbor bring their groceries in. They're ready to help everyone else, but not when they're asked by us.

09:39
The Talmud tells us something fundamental about human psychology when you're asked or commanded to do something, you have less desire to do it, but when you're a hero for volunteering to do it, everyone's ready to do it. This is the Talmud. The Talmud says gadol ha-me tzu'e-ve-ose, mishe'enum tzu'e-ve-ose. It is greater when someone is obligated to do something and they fulfill it nonetheless. It's far greater when they do it like that, under obligation, than when someone is just volunteering to do it. Ok, it's a very big principle. Now let's apply it to ourselves. We are commanded by the Almighty to observe the Torah and we observe the Torah. So the reward is very great because you're commanded to do it and you do it. But the nations of the world are not commanded to observe it, and yet they observe it. Well, that's easy. Oh well, you're right. Imagine this OK, the guy who's paid to go onto the football field and play football may not feel the desire to do so.

10:55
Are you getting paid all this money? I know, but I have to. I don't want to do what I have to, but if they came to any of us, would you mind just step in, just get on the field and play, like sure me? Of course, like you know, we'll feel like a hero.

11:11
It's easy for someone to do something when they're not commanded to do it, and therefore the nations of the world, when they're not commanded to fulfill the Torah, when they're not commanded to learn the Torah, their reward is not going to be as great as the children of Israel, who are commanded and are obligated to learn and fulfill the Torah when they do so. So the Talmud now concludes and says Godol Hametsuva Veosa, yoseph Misha'aynumetsuva Osa, one who performs a precept having been commanded to do so is far greater than one who performs a precept without having been commanded to do so. The Yetzahara the commentaries explain strives with particular zeal to thwart one who performs a mitzvah to which he is obligated. As a result, one who performs a mitzvah to which he is obligated must expend greater effort than one who does so voluntarily, and the former therefore receives greater reward. It's very difficult. You have to do something. You don't want to do it, you volunteer, it's easier. The question is how to get our children to do the things they need to do when we tell them. So there's many ways that we can motivate our children. We can make it exciting for them to do it, but it's not always going to be exciting. Children shouldn't only be doing things that their parents ask them to do because it's exciting. Parents should learn to impart responsibility to their children. I find that today's generation, where we have so much luxury, so much, the children grow up today with the things we couldn't imagine we couldn't imagine in our lives having when we were children.

13:18
I just changed phone plans a few weeks ago. I changed from one service to another service. Everything just transferred everything over. They upgraded all the phones on our plan, very nice. But I realized that it's really inferior service. The calls don't go through smoothly. I've never had this before in my previous carrier, where I'm standing someplace that nobody can hear me. I'm like I'm making a phone and nobody hears me. What's going on? Why doesn't anybody hear me? And it got frustrating and I decided that I'm not going to. I had it still the period of time that I can change back to my previous carrier. I said I'm not going to Not going to. Why? On principle, on principle or not, why not your phone service of the luxury that we have today with 5G plus doesn't have to be perfect. We can still live in a world where we roll up our windows manually. Not everything has to be so perfect. And I said on principle, I'm not transferring out of the inferior service. I'm not going to say which company it is, I don't want to get sued. All of our millions of viewers. I don't need them to come after me now that I'm ruining their.

14:41
But it's intentional that we're living in a world today where the kids grow up. We're literally at their fingertips. You know where my? I was just thinking about this Not long ago. I mentioned this in class as well.

14:56
Do you know where my daughter, who's now a year and a half old, do you know where she thinks bananas come from? They come from the delivery bag that comes to the front of the house. They have no idea that things grow in a tree Now, where the bananas or the oranges come from. They don't have an idea that most people have to go to the supermarket to purchase and to pick beautiful apples and pears and whatever other fruits and vegetables we buy. The fact that there is such an abundance of food, it's not something to be taken lightly. But our children don't understand. They open up the refrigerator and it's filled with fruits and vegetables and it's filled with yogurts and milks and whatever they need. They don't realize.

15:50
And that's our job as parents to instill values into our children so they can appreciate and so that they can be happy people. Because when children live a life that they don't have gratitude and appreciation for what is in their life, they become miserable. Show me a person who's grateful, I will show you a person who's happy. Show me a person who's ingrateful, I will show you someone who's miserable. This is the rule of life. The rule of life. And it doesn't help if one grows up in a wealthier home, in a poorer home, more privileged, less privileged. It's irrelevant. If we don't grow up with the values of gratitude, we won't be happy people.

16:43
Or say, just tell us that the purpose of all of prayer is to give gratitude to God. When we give gratitude and give thanks to Hashem, we're happy, like, wow, I'm going to quench that my electricity is off for a day because of construction, because of repairs down the road. I have eyes, I can see. Hashem gave me the ability to eat and to drink and to touch and to smile and to hear beautiful music and to walk places. It's the greatest gifts in the world, but we lose sight of it and we take it for granted, and when we aren't grateful, we aren't happy.

17:32
So the Talmud here is telling us that the nations of the world don't necessarily receive the same type of reward as the Jewish people when they study Torah and observe the Torah, because they're not commanded to do so. So the challenge for them doing so is not as great. When you're commanded to do something, it's much more challenging. At any rate, this price would demonstrate that the nations were delinquent in their performance of the Noachai laws. Their petition that had they been given the Torah, they would have performed its precepts, is thus denied. They therefore submit a different appeal. So they try to say well, if we would have given us the Torah, we would have accepted and we would have fulfilled it. God says look, you were given the seven Noachai laws and you did a miserable job at that.

18:23
So what's their argument now? Elokachomrimahovdehkhohvimufnakodeshbohu, rather, this is what the idolaters will say to the Holy One, to the Almighty, god, creator of Heaven and Earth, rebonasholol, master of the Universe, yisrael shkibluahhechonkiyemuha. As to the Jews who received the Torah, how have they observed its precepts? What evidence is there that they were meticulous in the observance of the Torah? Omrilemahakodeshbohu animayidbohemshikimuhasatorukhula? The Almighty says what do you mean? I give testimony that they have indeed observed the entire Torah.

19:06
The nations argue that this testimony is inadmissible on the following grounds Omrimlifonov, they say before Hashem Rebonashololom, klum yeishav meidal bno. Don't we know that a father does not give testimony about his son? He's not trusted. A father can't come to court and say I testify about my son. No, of course not. And the Jews are regarded to you as sons. D'chhsiv b'nibichoru yisrael. The verse in the Torah states my firstborn son, israel, the Jewish people.

19:43
So the argument is accepted and God therefore introduces other witnesses to testify. A bit Israel's virtue. God says you know what? There's someone else who can give testimony about the Jewish people's fulfillment and commitment and observance of the Torah? Omrimlifonov, the Almighty says to them Shamaim v'aretsi idubahem, the heavens and the earth will testify about Israel Shikimu eshatorukhula, that they have fulfilled the entire Torah.

20:15
The nations argue whoa? Such a testimony is not either admissible. Why, omrimlifonov? They say in front of the Almighty you were boneless. Shlol, amastu of the universe, shamaim v'arets, no genmei duson, the heavens and the earth have self-interest involved here. They're invalid as witnesses. Why, shenemer imlo ba'rasi yom avalalah l'chukah, shamaim v'arets l'osamti? Because God says if not for my covenant of day and night, the statutes of heaven and earth, I would not have established.

20:48
This verse indicates that the very existence of heaven and earth was contingent on Israel's acceptance of the Torah. So what is that called in court, quid pro quo, where you have one thing dependent on another thing. So now the Jewish people, you're saying, are going to have testimony from the heaven and earth. But the heaven and earth know that they would not be created if the Torah wasn't accepted by the Jewish people. So if they don't give good testimony, they're done. So how do you expect to allow, how do you expect us, say the nations of the world, to accept their testimony?

21:31
The Gomorrah cites a second source, that the existence of the world depends on the Torah's study, right? Not only that verse. The Omorrah, b'shim and b'lokish, brings another verse Ma'id iqsib. What is the meaning of the verse that states Va'ihih e'reh va'ivok yom ha shishi. And it was evening and it was morning the sixth day. Why do I need the extra letter? Hey ha shishi the sixth day, me'lameh shi hitna kodeshborchu im ma'isabarashish.

22:04
From here we see that God stipulated a condition into the work of creation, where God says the omar im yisro m'qabmah s'toro si'imutah ve'im lav an'i achzir eschem l'sohu v'vohu, if the Jewish people accept my Torah, then fine, you will endure. However, if they do not accept my Torah, I will return you to astonishing emptiness, to a total abyss, to a total nothingness. So that's proof that everything is dependent on the Jewish people receiving the Torah. So if they were now to give testimony against the Jewish people's observance of the Torah, they're gone, no pressure at all.

22:50
The third teaching in the same vein, we hainu da'amachizkiah, and now we bring a proof from Chizkiah, who expressed, namely Ma'idah siv Mishama'i Mishmatodin eretz Yorah vishakata From heaven. You made judgment. The Torah. The Torah is called judgment. You made judgment, heard.

23:11
The earth became afraid and grew calm. Im Yorah Lama Shakta. If it became afraid, why did it later grow calm? If it was afraid, it shouldn't become. It should be afraid. Ve im Shakta, lama Yorah. If it grew calm, why was it afraid? So either one elah betchilu Yorah. Rather, at first, before Israel accepted the Torah. The earth was afraid, elah basov Shakta, but in the end it grew calm after the Jewish people accepted the Torah.

23:47
So all the aforementioned teachings convey that the very existence of heaven and earth was contingent on Israel's acceptance of the Torah. They therefore are beholden to Israel and invalid to testify about Israel's observance of the Torah. Who then can submit acceptable testimony that they have observed the Torah? So the G'morah concludes now Amr Lehme, kodesh Baruchu, again to the nations of the world. The nations of the world are asking God proved to us that the Jewish people even accepted, fulfilled the Torah. So Hashem answers to the nations Mekem Yovou, from among you yourselves, witnesses will come forth, viyahidu behem be Yisroel Shikimu s'etorah kula, and they will testify you. The nations of the world will testify about the Jews that they have indeed observed the entire Torah.

24:45
Yovou Nimrod, viyahid Bavram, nimrod, king Nimrod will come and testify about the Patriarch Erebrom, shaloh Avvah Dvoldeskohovn, that he did not worship idolatry. Yovou Lovevon, viyahid Biyakov and Labin, the father-in-law of Jacob. He will come and testify about Jacob, shaloh Nechshadal Gezol that he did not steal anything from him. Tavo Ashes, potifera, vitoid Biosav and the wife of Potifar will give testimony about Joseph, shaloh Nechshadal Avvahiro, that he did not commit adultery. Yovou Nevuchad Netsar. Viyahid B'Khananim Mishol. Vahazariah Nebuchadnezzar will come and testify about Khananim Mishol and Azariah Shuloh. Yahishtaachavu Latzelam that they did not bow down to the image. Yovou Dar Yovosh Viyahid B'daniel Dar Yovosh Darius will come and testify about Daniel Shalobit El Esatvilo that he did not seize from prayer.

25:46
Yovou Bildad HaShukhi, vitsofa Hanamos, yivalif Azataymoni, viliyoben Brachel Habuzi Bildad the Shukhite, zofar the Naamite, elifaz the Teymanite, the Yemenite, and Eliyahu, the son of Brachel the Buzite. They will come to Yidubah and Yusra and they will testify about the Jews. Shikhi Yumu'u's call HaTorah Kula, that they observed the entire Torah. Shenemar Yitnu Eidey Envy Yitzdokhu, as the verse states in Isaiah. Let them bring their witnesses and they will be vindicated.

26:29
The nations of the world are going to testify. They're going to say yes, when we brought them to the concentration camps, they recited the Shema. When I was in Auschwitz, when I was in Birkenau, we were told that the German soldiers knew the Shema by heart, because they heard thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands of times the Jewish people screaming the Shema. You know who's going to give testimony? Those guards. Those guards are going to say these Jews never left their faith when they tried to burn down their synagogues and they saw that there were Jews sitting there learning at the candlelight. Those same people are going to give testimony saying, yes, the Jews observed the Torah, they learned the Torah. They didn't stop from their commitment to the Torah. The nations still refuse to capitulate. The nations will then say to Hashem, master of the universe, to know give the Torah to us anew and we will observe its presets. We're going to give it to you, we're going to do it. So what do the heavens respond? Amar lahena kodeshporchuhu, the Almighty, says to them Shotim Shema'olam, fools of the world, mishelotarch be'erav Shabbos, yohob Shabbos, whoever toils on the eve of Shabbos on Friday will eat on Shabbos itself. Mishelotarch be'erav Shabbos, he who did not toil prior to Shabbos, mehechen Yohob Shabbos, from where will he eat on Shabbos? This parable is a very important parable.

28:27
You know they say that when you go on the cruise, whatever's on that cruise liner is what's on the cruise liner. If you come on the boat, you come onto the ship at Galveston, you're going away for three weeks on your cruise and as you hear the big horns of the ship departing from the dock, you're like oh, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. I left my sunglasses in the car. I'm sorry. Whatever's on the ship is on the ship and whatever's not is not. Yeah, I left my tuna fish sandwich. I can't believe it. Yeah, in three weeks you're going to come back to a really smelly car. Whatever's on the boat is on the boat when Shabbos kicks in. Every week, our cruise liner departs. We don't cook anymore, we don't turn on the lights, we don't turn off the lights. What is is we're on a cruise. Now, the next 25 hours, nothing changes. We're not doing, we're being. This is a time where we're completely committed, every single week, in our relationship with God.

29:47
You prepare before Shabbos. You'll have delicious food on Shabbos. You don't prepare before Shabbos, you're out of luck. Buddy, it's going to be tough.

29:58
The nations of the world now come to God and say, hey, give us the Torah, let's start all over again. God says that's not the way it works. Elah, I'll be cane all the same, I will accede to your request and test whether you really would have observed the Torah. And God says you know what? I'm going to give you a chance. I'm going to give you a chance. Mitzvah kala. Yeishly, I have a very, very easy mitzvah for you Vesukah shema, the mitzvah of Sukah. You'll observe the mitzvah of Sukah and if you observe it perfectly, then it'll be a sign that you indeed observed. You would have observed the entire Torah. And then we have an argument L'chuvah asu aso, go perform this mitzvah, go build a Sukah and be in the Sukah.

30:55
The Gomorrah now interrupts the teaching to ask he says if umim matis amrez hachi. But how can Hashem say that he gives the nations another chance If ha'am Arabi, shuban levi, your bishoban levi, says may d'chseev asharnochim etzavah hayom laasosim, that which I command you. The verse says I command you today to perform them. Hayom laasosim velolim bachalasosim. Today to perform them, not tomorrow to perform them, not meaning today, meaning this world, not world to come. Tomorrow means the world to come. Velol hayom leetol sohar, hayom laasosim. Today was made to do them. This world was made to do them. Today is not made for receiving their reward.

31:46
So why then does God give the nations a second chance in the world to come? That you know. If we, after we check out, after 120 great years on this world, in this world, the place called today, we get to the tomorrow, we get to the world to come. And God says well, what have you done and you say, well, I, I am asked all this wealth, but I was planning to give it to charity. But if you just gave me another minute, I would give it If I was about to sign the check. You know what I mean. If you just torch, torch, I just didn't fill out anything, I didn't sign the check. I'm sorry, if you don't do it today, you don't have tomorrow.

32:30
But God's going to make an exception for the nations of the world.

32:35
He's going to make an exception that they abuse their opportunity in this world, but God's going to give them another chance and the world to come.

32:43
That's so unfair. How could that be that God says I'm going to give the nations of the world another opportunity? It's the Gomorrah, answers Elosh enakodeshborchubo, bechunim beryaisuf. Rather, god gives them this chance because the Holy One, blessed as he, does not seek excuses to deal harshly with His creations. On the contrary, he seeks to provide them with ways to be successful.

33:13
Hashem wants us to be successful. This is one of the indications that we know. There are hundreds of them. One of the many Hashem only wants good for us. Hashem only wants this is the nations of the world who have inflicted the Jewish people with the most terrible, devastating harm. God still says you know what? I'll give you one more chance. One more chance because God is Mullah Rahman, god is full of mercy. Full of mercy, god says I'm going to give one more chance.

33:44
So the Gomorrah asks am I currently mitzvakalo? Why does God refer to the Sukkha as an easy mitzvah? The Gomorrah answers Mishum, the less bechisorun kis, because its performance does not involve a hefty price. Financially, it doesn't cost a lot to have a Sukkha. So, returning to the teaching, he says immediately, each of the citizens of the nations of the world takes the opportunity and goes to construct a Sukkha at the roof of their home. They all go up onto their porches, onto their rooftops, and they all build beautiful Sukkas. Wow, and God pierces them with the heat of the blazing sun in the Tamos in the summer season. We're all a-chod, a-chod, me-vay-ed, besukkos of a-yotsae. We're upon.

34:43
Each and every one of the nation kicks his Sukkha and leaves it. Shenemar ninatko, esmosro seimo benashlichho mimenu avosemo. As it states, let us cut their cord and cast off their ropes. So what happens? The nations of the world say okay, challenge accepted, they build their Sukkha. God's regular summertime, which is when, by the way. When we have our Sukkot is also summertime.

35:15
Try the wall-be Sukkha in September or October, and on most years you're like a shish kabab rolling there. It is so hot, you're sweating. It's not exactly so pleasant. God does the same for the nations of the world. What do they do? They leave the Sukkha. But they don't just leave the Sukkha, they kick the Sukkha on their way out.

35:45
So the Gomorrah asks Makdir, does God really pierce them with the sun's heat? The Ha'amrish, didn't you just say that the Almighty does not seek excuses to deal harshly with His creations? The Gomorrah is right. So here you're making it extra hot for them. Why Let it just be the observance of Sukkot? Why do you need to make it extra hot like it is for everyone else? The Gomorrah says Mishum di Yisro'al nami zemni. Making the blazing sun beat down upon the nations was a fear trial of the nations' dedications, for the Jews Also must face the trial in some years, as at times it happens that the Tamuz season extends until the festival, until Sukkot.

36:33
The Moshchuluhut kufa de Tamuz, al-hinov, the heavy Luhu tzara, and the Jews too, experience discomfort when performing the mitzvah of Sukkot due to the heat of the sun. Yet they don't act as the nations did. I will just tell you that in 1996, in 1996, I was in the Ukraine for Sukkot and it was 40 degrees below zero. I mean, you can't even imagine how cold it was. It's so cold that your brain freezes, for like this, like your brainwaves can't work, can't function because it's so cold. It was so cold and we all slept in the Sukkot. We all slept in the Sukkot and we didn't run out of the Sukkot saying, ah, how terrible, disgusting, what are you crazy? Me sleeping in the Sukkot, me. We didn't do that. And in the heat of the Houston Sukkot, when you're dripping sweat, we don't either leave the Sukkot.

37:48
So what are the nations of the world going to say now? The Jewish people had the same challenge. The Gomorrah asks for Amarov, or Rava says mitzvah or patam. In a Sukkot, one who experiences distress is exempt from the mitzvah of Sukkot. So what's the problem? That the nations of the world left the Sukkot? You are in a situation where you're repulsed by the heat, by the sweat, by the. You know it's really difficult. Then you could go inside according to halacha, and fulfill mitzvah inside you're not, and leave the soka, so you're exempt from the mitzvah. So why the nations of the world? Certainly, then, the Jews would also vacate the soka, should it be uncomfortably hot. Why, then, are the nations faulted for leaving the soka under such circumstances? Under such conditions? So the Gomorrah answers nihi, the potur piute mihi mivate Granted that one is exempt from remaining in the soka under such circumstances, but did you have to kick it on your way out? Why did you kick it? Certainly not. Thus, the nations are faulted, not for leaving the soka, but for their attitude towards being exempt from the mitzvah, their attitude towards the mitzvah.

39:13
The Gomorrah continues the narrative miyarra kodeshborchu yoshiv and musahik alema. Immediately Upon seeing their actions, hashem sits and laughs about them. Shenem are Yoshiv basamaim Yitzchok, as the verse states, and he sits in the heavens. He who sits in the heavens will laugh. Amir ebi Yitzchok, regarding this verse of Yitzchok, says e'en schoklif na kodeshborchu ele osu hayon bavad. There is never a laughter in the presence of the Holy One, except for that one day alone. It's gonna be funny. It's gonna be funny how the nations of the world thought that they can survive.

39:55
And you think of all of the Tragedies that befell the Jewish people, all the terrible, terrible challenges that we've experienced throughout our history. Do you see us complaining? Do you see us saying, oh, we can't put tzitzas on, we can't put the fillin on, we can't keep Shabbos, we can't keep kosher, we can't Fulfill the laws of modesty, oh, we can't light Shabbos candles. Oh, do you know that there are Villages in Mexico? Today I met someone from there. He told me and this is part of the Anusim, those who left to fled from the Spanish Inquisition and Suspected of being Jews still today. Today, because we don't know, we don't have a direct link of their heritage, they're asked by a bona fide bet dinner Jewish court to reconvert to Judaism. But they told me that they women Come in every Friday evening and In the closets they light two candles. They like two candles in the closet and they don't even know why they do it. By sunset, every Friday, the women light the candles and they don't know why. But the women, before they're together with their husbands, after their period, they go to the river and they have no idea why this is what they do. Well, these are the Jewish laws. This is what the Torah teaches us.

41:37
Unfortunately, many Went astray over the years, but that's our job today to inspire ourselves and to get back on course, each and every one of us to see in what way can I excel in my relationship with Hashem Today, meaning in this world, before we check out and we're at the tomorrow, to make it real and to not push it away, kick at it and say, ah, I'm disgusted by it, I'm not interested in it, but rather to take the opportunity that we have today, every single day, maximize it and make it a day that's special in our relationship with Hashem. I said bless us, each and every one of us, whether we're Jewish, whether we're not Jewish, whether we're converts, whether we're not converts, to utilize the time we have in this world to do the right thing. And everybody can ask their spiritual leader, their mentor, their guide in what way can I serve Hashem? Teach me the Torah, teach me what God put me in this world for, and we should all, hopefully together, grow in our connection with Hashem every day of our lives. I mean, have a great job. It's, it's an excellent question.

42:56
How can you serve Hashem? Number one, You're doing it right now. You're learning Torah and you're committed and dedicated. I know that Even in the most challenging of times, you're watching the video. If you can't, you're doing everything you can as a couple, as Individuals, to make sure you you maintain your connection to Judaism, and that's the most important thing is Learning Torah. The second is every day. Think of what way can I advance my relationship with Hashem If it's praying a little bit, if it's performing another mitzvah, if it's doing another thing that's different from what I used to do to advance my relationship with Hashem? And very, very, very microscopic steps, because big steps we fall. Small, small, teeny little steps. That's my recommendation Keep it up.

43:48 - Intro (Announcement)
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