Transcript
Good morning Boker Tov welcome back to Parsha Perspectives for today. Excited to dive into not one but two parshas Chukat and Balak. We have a double parsha this week help us catch up with Israel so we're in sync and quite literally on the same page so we've got a lot to cover. As always though we begin with our gratitude. Huge thank you to Becky and Avi Katz and family for sponsoring our series in memory of Becky's father. Our learning should be l'ilui nishmas דוד בן מנחם מאנש David Grossman. Our series is also sponsored by the wonderful Dikman family in memory of their daughter and sister Danielle Rachel bas Shalom Ezer her neshama should have an aliya as well. This morning's shiur is sponsored anonymously in honor of the recent engagement of David Rubin and Raquel Alpert. Huge Mazal Tov on the simcha and she should give a lot of nachas. Just a housekeeping note: this summer the schedule is somewhat erratic. We're not meeting the next two weeks and then we're back on and then we'll be off again in August for a little bit. To be up to date always whether we have shiur that week or not just make sure you're part of our WhatsApp group. You can join all the shiur WhatsApp groups at RabbiEfremGoldberg.org/whatsapp. RabbiEfremGoldberg.org/whatsapp join all the groups. Parshas Chuka page 838 in the Artscroll Stone Artscroll Stone Chumash. וידבר השם אל משה ואל אהרן לאמר Hashem spoke to Moshe and Aharon and he told them he introduced him: זאת חקת התורה אשר צוה השם לאמר this is the chok of the Torah which God commanded. דבר אל בני ישראל ויקחו אליך פרה אדומה תמימה speak to the Jewish people take a parah adumah red heifer temimah pure unblemished אשר אין בה מום אשר לא עלה עליה על that hasn't worked hasn't labored that doesn't have two hairs that aren't red completely and perfect parah adumah. What's so special? Why a red heifer? This is an ancient question it's not mine. This is the paradoxical quintessential chok. It is a law of the Torah that seems incomprehensible we can't understand it it doesn't make sense it's not logical it doesn't fit with our regular thinking. Why? Particularly because it's paradoxical as Rashi quotes Chazal there's something not only unusual there's something not only out of the ordinary that's hard to understand there's something that doesn't make sense. It's paradoxical. Why would it purify the impure but leave the pure impure? The one who sprinkles this ash this concoction who began pure becomes impure through sprinkling. And the person upon whom it is sprinkled who was impure becomes pure. So if it can make the one who's impure pure why does it make the one who's pure impure? That sounds like a big tongue twister but trust me when I tell you it's paradoxical it doesn't make sense it doesn't really add up. And it's not just that it bothered me who am I but Shlomo HaMelech the wisest of all men אמרתי אחכמה והיא רחוקה ממני. He describes: I thought I would be wise but it's too far off for me I don't understand it it doesn't make sense. And that is the nature of a chok. A chok is a law that defies our comprehension that doesn't make sense to us. And yet Or HaChaim HaKadosh רב חיים אבן עטר Or HaChaim HaKadosh is bothered. It shouldn't be zos chukas HaTorah it should be זאת חקת הפרה אדומה זאת חקת טומאה וטהרה. This is a particular specific law. If we're describing something as a chok we have different words to say law: din mishpat chok. We have different words in Hebrew for different types of law: civil law civic law criminal law understandable law illogical law. Chok which describes this particular type of law should be more specific. We're describing the law of the parah adumah the red heifer the laws of tumah v'taharah purity and impurity. Instead we give this generic overarching umbrella zos chukas what? HaTorah. This is the chok of the totality of Torah all because of this one law the parah adumah? So Amaras Tehoros the Rachmastrivka quotes the Or HaChaim and he says the following: על ידי שמקיים מצוה זו היא חוק בלא טעם הרי זה עושה מקיים כל התורה כראוי. I've mentioned this in the past always in different people's names this year we'll quote it from the Amaras Tehoros in the name of Or HaChaim HaKadosh. Why is this the chok of the whole Torah? Because our attitude towards this particular law reveals and reflects on our attitude towards the totality of law. כי בזה מראה שאינו עושה המצוות מחמת הטעם שבדבר because when you're willing to be obedient and compliant when you're willing to do something even when you don't understand it shows that even when you do understand that's not the reason you're doing it. רק באמונה הוא עושה הישר כן צוה עליו הבורא that you're doing it because God says jump we say how high. When the Almighty asks us to do something we say we're all in because we love him because we want to meet his need and it's not his need. The whole reason He's asking is for us. We trust, we surrender, we submit, and we're in. So even the things we do that make sense, even the things we do that we do understand, those are not only because they make sense and we understand them, even those we're doing why? Because we're invested in a relationship. How do you know if it's because of the relationship or because we understand? Are we doing it for you or are we doing it ultimately for me? How do you know? Because are you willing to do it when you don't understand? And really in this way, our relationship with Hashem parallels our human relationships. The same is true in marriage, the same is true in friendship. If you're only willing to do what makes sense to you, then you're not really invested in coming close to the other person or meeting their need or doing what they ask, you're doing it because it makes sense to you too. But what happens when your spouse asks you to do something and you say \"It doesn't make sense to me. That's not the way I want to do it. That's not how I want to proceed.\"? But you know what? Doesn't make any sense to me, I don't agree, I don't think it's necessary or I don't think it's the way to go or it's not what I want to do, but I'll tell you what, if it's important to you, it makes no sense to me but I'm in. I'm in. So now you've really deepened and invested the relationship, because when you're willing to be in when it makes no sense, it shows that even when it did make sense, you weren't going along because it made sense, even then you were doing it. And that's why the Ohr Hachaim says that's why it's called Zos Chukas HaTorah. Because our attitude towards chukim, our attitude towards those laws that don't make sense really ultimately affirm our attitude in the right way for even the laws that do. כי מצוה זו היא עושה כל התורה כולה שמקיימים אותם מחמת שהקדוש ברוך הוא צוה. We're doing it because God commanded. וכעין זה איתא בקדושת לוי. And then the Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh continues, we have a similar idea quoted from Reb Levi Yitzchak Barditchever, the Kedushas Levi. יש מצוה שהשכל מחייב לעשותם ואינו טעם מהם. כשאדם עושה מצוה זו אינו ניכר שעושה המצוה מחמת ציווי כי יש לומר שעושה מחמת ששכלו. They're logical, comprehensible mitzvos that make sense. And when we do them because they make sense, then we're not really reflecting that we're doing it out of devotion. Maybe we're serving ourselves, not serving God at all. אבל יש מצוה שאין השכל מחייב לעשותם כלל. But then there are mitzvos that make no sense. To have your clothing checked for shatnez, to ensure that you're not wearing a mixture of wool and linen, probably would not have come on your radar had the Torah not asked you to. You could put all of us in a room till the end of time and if we had to imagine and draw up a religion of meaning and purpose, we never, ever, ever would have suggested don't wear garments with mixtures of wool and linen. So when we do, when it's inconvenient and an additional expense and delays wearing that new suit or outfit, but we do because we're committed, Hashem you said no wool and linen. And there are arguments we can make, beautiful reasons we can offer, but ultimately very hard to understand. It's another example of a chok. And when we do it anyway, now we're showing that our whole lives and lifestyles, even the parts that do make sense, honoring parents, it's one of the examples of a logical mitzvah. You don't have to be Jewish and you don't have to be religious to know that it's a beautiful thing to honor your parents. They gave you life, they represent everyone who came before. Honor them, it makes sense. Shabbos, you're seeing more and more who are encouraging a technology sabbath, technology sabbatical. It's not uniquely Jewish, it makes sense, it's logical—disconnect from the world around us. So how do we know if you're doing it to serve you or serve Him? Because are you willing to do it even when it doesn't make sense? That tells you everything and that's why it's Zos Chukas HaTorah and that's why the pasuk continues Zos Chukas HaTorah, not only the law of the Parah Adumah, but it reflects on the whole Torah. In what way? How does the pasuk continue? Asher tziva Hashem. Are you doing it because God asked you? Do you do it because your spouse asked you and you don't always have to understand and it doesn't always have to make sense and it doesn't always have to be the way you want? But you know what? You're devoted and you're committed to them. So even or especially when it doesn't make sense, you say \"I'm all in. I don't have to understand. If it's what you want, if it's what you want, I'm good to go. I'm all in.\" Those are the moments that really deepen and reflect the greatness of a relationship and that's the opportunity of what we have and that is the law of the Parah Adumah. Okay, so that's how the parsha begins. Rashi famously quotes that this law of Parah Adumah, let the mother come and clean up the mess of the child. Who is the child? If this is the red cow, the red heifer, who was the calf? Who is the child that left a mess? The Cheit Ha'egel, the sin of the golden calf, when the Jewish people lost their way when Moshe didn't return on our timetable and we craved this tangible connection with God. We didn't have Moshe, so we built this alternative. Let the red heifer atone, let the Parah Adumah be mechaper for the Cheit Ha'egel. Just a cute play on words, same animal, parent and child. It's a cute image. Clean up the mess. Or is there something deeper? Where did we go wrong with the Chet Ha'Egel? We didn't understand. It's not happening on our timetable, it's not working out the way we want, so we panicked. Or young people would say we freaked out and we lost it and we had a meltdown and we went all wrong. How do we atone, how do we repair? With a Mitzvah where we say Hashem I don't have to understand. If the whole mistake came about because I panicked, we panicked when we didn't understand, then the way to atone is to demonstrate even when we don't understand, we're all in. That's how we can repair. That's why this Mitzvah atones for the Chet Ha'Egel. That's how our Parasha begins. We're going to make a smattering of Chukat and Balak, two Parashot, each we could learn till the end of time on their own. To do them all in one sitting is a tall order. We'll do the best we can, but moving along. Perek Chaf, the next chapter, page 842. The next chapter continues Miriam's death. Every year we're in the middle of Sefer Bamidbar, every year it smacks me in the face. I'm not ready because it feels like we're just making our way through the desert. We just got in here, we just had Pesach, we just left Mitzrayim. It feels like we just heard that it's going to be a 40-year journey through the desert and all of a sudden in this one Parasha, Miriam's gone, Aaron's gone, it's the end of an enormous chapter. What a transition we go through. So Torah tells us we came, the whole assembly arrived in the Midbar Tzin, first month we settled in Kadesh. ותמת שם מרים ותקבר שם. Miriam dies and she's buried there. Now it was in the merit of Miriam that all through our journeys we had what? The well, Be'er Miriam, the well of Miriam, in her merit. Such blessing was able to spring, drew forth, flowed the Shefa Bracha that came in the merit of Miriam. And with her passing that merit was lost, which meant the water flow, the spigot closed, the spout closed. And what happened? We've seen this story before. ולא היה מים לעדה, there was no water. ויקהלו על משה ועל אהרן. We were impatient, we didn't believe there was a plan, we gathered on Moshe and Aaron and complained. וירב העם עם משה ויאמרו לאמור ולו גווענו בגווע אחינו לפני ה'. If only we had perished as our brothers perished before God. We just don't learn our lesson each and every time over and over again. There's this mad sense of panic. And we panic, we say things we don't mean, like it would have been better if we died already, it would have been better if you never took us out of... like we're a little thirsty. You know, it's like the kid, you're in the airport and you don't buy a drink because it's $400 for a bottle of water. And the kid's like, I'm thirsty, you didn't buy the drink, there's no point to this vacation, you don't love me, I don't even know why we went and I hate you and you hate me, and you're like, whoa, relax dude. A bottle of water, there's a water fountain, you just had a drink on the way here, like relax. And that's the image of the Jewish people. Miriam's gone and we studied I think last year that each time the Jewish people complain there's really something deeper going on. The complaint is how it manifests, the complaint is how it's expressed, but there's an unexpressed pain. There's an unexpressed, today's language you'd say, trauma. Micro-trauma or real trauma and it's unprocessed and it was triggered. We have a whole new language for all these things. Holocaust survivors never talked about being triggered or traumatized. I'm not saying which is healthier, better, worse, I'm not judging, I'm just saying we're in a new generation. So the Jewish people had some unrealized, unprocessed trauma like the loss of Miriam. Miriam was with her from the beginning. Miriam's responsible for the whole nation. Without her her parents never get back together and they never have Moshe and Moshe doesn't ever get saved in a basket and Moshe's mother is never the one who nurses him and Moshe doesn't rise to bring them out of Egypt. Without Miriam they have nothing. We're still stuck in Egypt and now Miriam's gone. But instead of there being able to put into words we're in pain, they come and complain. And there's a huge lesson to learn, that that's often the case with our children or adults who are acting like children, that they're acting out, we're acting out or lashing out and it's not about what we're saying, it's about some unexpressed pain that's coming out in that way. And we spoke about this last year. ולמה הבאתם את קהל ה' אל המדבר הזה למות שם, why'd you bring us to the desert to die here? What's the point of this vacation, this trip, this journey? You won't allow me to buy bottled water in the airport, you don't love me, I hate you, it's all over. ולמה העליתנו ממצרים אל המקום הרע הזה, why'd you bring us out of Egypt to this terrible place? And now Moshe needs an answer. People need hydrated, they need water. So what does he do? וידבר ה' אל משה לאמור. So God tells him, Kach Et Ha'Mateh, take your staff, your trusted staff, והקהל את העדה אתה ואהרן אחיך ודברתם אל הסלע. So gather the people and vedibartem, speak to the rock le'eineihem before them while they're watching and looking, venatan meimav, and the rock will give forth its water. והוצאת להם מים מן הסלע והשקית את העדה ואת בעירם. The water, the rock will give water and you will be able to give them the assembly to drink, they and their animals. And what does Moshe do? We all know this famous story. Vayikach Moshe, he takes the staff, but he gathers the people and now ויאמר להם שמעו נא המורים, you listen you rebellious ones, המן הסלע הזה נוציא לכם מים, should we, Moshe, Aharon and I, should we draw forth water from this rock for you? He lifts the staff, he smacks it twice, water comes out and God says, oh boy, I really wish you didn't do that. Because we had such big plans together, we're going to go into the land and now you're out. Now you can't come. יען לא האמנתם בי להקדישני, because you didn't believe in me to sanctify me in the eyes of everyone, לא תביאו את הקהל הזה, you will not be the one who takes the people in. And this is the mei Merivah, these are the bitter waters of this horrible, horrible episode. We've spoken in the past at length, I want to move on to other parts, but just share a couple new thoughts this year on this section. Of course, I think which commentator is the Kli Yakar, Or HaChaim HaKadosh, one of them say Moshe did one thing wrong but we make it like he did a hundred. Since there are at least a hundred suggestions of what he did wrong, poor Moshe only did one thing wrong but we make it like there are a hundred. Rashi says the problem is that he hit the rock instead of speaking to the rock. The Ramban and the Rambam say the problem is that he got angry. And anger is an emotion you can never indulge, especially as a leader. He got angry publicly. Can't ever do that. Others say it wasn't anger, it was arrogance. He said, should we, should Aharon and I, המן הסלע הזה נוציא לכם מים, should we? Who's we, kemosabe? Who's we? What are you doing? God's going to make the miracle, make the water come out of the rock. What are you doing? Yet others say, shimu na hamorim, he called them a name, rebellious ones, a character attack, ad hominem attack. All kinds of suggestions are offered where Moshe went wrong, what was the mistake. One thing is clear: the stakes are incredibly high, because one strike and he's out. After all the deposits Moshe's made, after all the good he's done, after all the sacrifice, all the selflessness, all the leadership, all the dependability and reliability that God himself testifies about Moshe, one mistake, he's out. He's out. Does the punishment meet the crime? Is it proportional, we would say today? Is it fair? Is it just? Very, very hard, very, very troublesome. I've suggested in the past, I won't review it now, it's not a punishment at all. Nowhere in the text does it say it's a punishment. It's a reality. You could listen to previous years, I'll get into why I think that. But the people needed a leader who could bridge heaven and earth, who could find the holy and the spiritual in the physical. And speech is the bridge of heaven and earth, it's where we're able to take ideas and thoughts and put them into words into this world. Moshe, who had a speech impediment from the beginning and demurred and hesitated to be the leader, and now God says speak to the rock but instead of speaking he hits it, showing he's not yet learned the power of speech. And so a generation that in the desert will sit and learn and doesn't need an army, doesn't need to farm, doesn't need an economy, doesn't need a judicial system or police force, Moshe's the perfect leader because the spiritual generation has the perfectly spiritual leader. But now they're going into Israel, a land of mitzvot hateluyot ba'aretz, a land where you have mitzvot in the very earth and soil of the land, a bridge of heaven and earth, it needs such a leader and in this episode Moshe proves it's not him. So not as a punishment but a reflection of a reality, he's not the one allowed in. This is an episode well worth diving deeper into. But I want to look at the Menachem Tzion, Rav Menachem Bentzion Saks on pasuk yod bet, top of page 844. Because God reacts and he says יען לא האמנתם בי להקדישני, you didn't believe in me to sanctify me in the eyes of the children. Moshe didn't believe in you? You've testified nobody believes in you more. One of the 13 principles our faith is to know that Moshe's categorically different than every other leader, every other prophet. And here God accuses him you didn't believe in me because you made one mistake, did one thing wrong? Why was it so significant? So Rav Menachem Bentzion Saks, listen to his suggestion, new this year, hot off the press. ציבור העומד על בסיס מוסרי חזק איננו זקוק לשוטרים לעונשים ולבתי סוהר. A community, a nation, a nation who has a strong moral compass and strong moral grounding and a strong inner moral. center don't need policemen and don't need the fear of punishment and don't need prisons to keep them honest and on track. לו שמעו בני ישראל בקול הנביאים לא היו צריכים בעשרת הדברות לו היה משה מדבר אל הסלע שיצא ממנו מים היו בני ישראל לוקחים מוסר איך שבדיבור גרידא אפשר לחולל נפלאות שאילו דיברתם אל הסלע והיה יוצא מים הייתם מקדשים לעיני העדה ואומרים מה סלע זה שאינו מדבר ואינו צריך לפרנסה מקיים דיבורו של מקום קל וחומר אנו. Rashi or quotes the Rabbis who say had Moshe spoken to the rock and drew water from it, God would have been sanctified in the eyes of all the people and they would have said if the rock that's an inanimate object doesn't rely on God for parnassa for livelihood nevertheless nevertheless fulfills God's command and God's word all the more so we who rely on God and are grateful to God and dependent on God all the more so we need to hear God's word. But what happened? What happened? You know when kids are little and they get in a scuffle they get in a fight or they're unhappy so they hit they hit you because they want the candy and you said no and what do we tell those little children? Use your use your words. Don't use your hands. Use your words. One of the great principles of life use your words words have power words have impact words have influence words transform words create. We know that today we live in the age of speech recognition. Words you could talk into your device and your car will come pick you up talk into your device and change the thermostat or put on that music talk into your device and turn on the dishwasher talk into your device and with AI it'll complete almost any project you want because words have power words create words impact words influence. So we tell children use your words don't use your hands. Where Moshe went wrong God said to Moshe use your words v'dibartem el hasela. And what'd he do? He used his hands. And that set us all off course forever. עתה שמשה הכה את הסלע הוכיח שלדיבור גרידא אין עוז ועצמה. What he demonstrated is that words are not as powerful as we think because God said speak to the rock and watch what will happen. And Moshe whether explicitly or implicitly essentially said really? I don't think words can do that. I don't think words can make water come out of a rock. I got to do something. I got to crack it open I got to break it I got to put a hole. On Route 443 from Yerushalayim to Modi'in my sister lives on the side of the road there's a rock that has water coming out you always see cars pulled over on the side people have water bottles they fill it I don't know it's a natural spring inside the rock. I always think of Mei Meriva Parshas Chukas whenever I drive to Modi'in on that road 443 and you see the water coming out of that rock. Water coming out of a rock is not a miracle because sometimes there's a spring behind that rock under that rock and when you break it and crack that hole. But to talk to the rock that's the miracle that's the power of words that was the opportunity in that moment for Moshe to communicate. והשריש בעונשים ממשים של מכות וחבלות ואילו היה משה מכניס בני ישראל לארץ לא היה לשונאי ישראל כשליטה עליהם מייסר ועונשם. Moshe introduced to the world that we need to use hands too. We use our hands when we make an arrest we use our hands when we put someone in prison we use our hands when we give capital punishment we use our hands when we have law enforcement. ואילו היו מקיימים דיבורו של מקום יכלו להשיג בעשרת הדברות אמונה בטובו כי זכות משה היתה מגינה עליהם ולפיכך באה הגזירה לא תביאו את הקהל הזה אל הארץ. Says Menachem Ben-Zion that's where Moshe went so wrong. He could have used words instead of his hands he used hands instead of words and that left its continued impact on us in a most negative way. פרק כ פסוק יד. Vayishlach Moshe malachim. And then we just go on. What's wild about this section I'll just point this out first of all Aharon's like the minor character here. We all focus on how Moshe didn't go into the land and Moshe was punished because Moshe was supposed to speak to the rock and he hit it. But if you look at the text who was the command given to? Gather the people and v'dibartem in the plural you Moshe and Aharon speak to the rock and they are both punished. Even though we focus on Moshe Aharon goes with him. What's also wild is the whole episode Moshe dedicate his entire life and sees he's not making it to his promised land the promised land. And how does he react? How does he respond? Does he collapse? Does he cry? Does he beg? Does he appeal? Does he regret have filled regret remorse? Look at the text he says He says you failed, God says you failed, יען לא האמנתם בי, you failed, לא תביאו את הקהל הזה אל הארץ, you're not coming into the land. Hema Mei Merivah, they are the waters of strife, that's how they'll be known for forever. And what happens next? We don't know. Text just goes on, the narrative continues. וישלח משה מלאכים מקדש אל מלך אדום. Moshe just continues on the journey forward. He sends messengers to the King of Edom. We want to cut through your land, do you mind? We won't touch, we won't take anything. Is it okay? Shortcut. You know what? We're a people limping out of Egypt, a slave nation, we don't want to hurt you, just let us cut through. Really? You just seamlessly transitioned from hearing that your entire life work is down the drain? You won't make it to your promised land? And then you just kept on going on the march? Wow, that itself is incredibly, incredibly powerful. Incredibly, incredibly powerful. So, Moshe sends malachim to the King of Edom, כה אמר אחיך ישראל. And he tells him, so says your brother, the Jewish people. אתה ידעת את כל התלאה אשר מצאתנו. You know all the hardship that's befallen us. Everyone knows, you know. And what is it? He recounts it for him. וירדו אבותינו מצרימה ונשב במצרים ימים רבים. We went down to Egypt and we dwelt there for a long time. And they were very tough on us, they enslaved us, we cried out to God, he heard our voice, took us out of Egypt. Now we're in Kadesh, we're at a city on the edge of your border. So do us a favor, give us a visa, let us pass through the land. We're not going to go through נעברה נא בארצך ולא נעבור בשדה ובכרם ולא נשתה מי באר. Let us have a visa, we'll pass through, we're not going to take anything. We won't go through the field, we won't touch the vineyard, we won't drink from your water source. Derech Hamelech nelech. We will simply on the King's road, we'll stay on the highway. We're just cutting through. לא נטה ימין ושמאל עד אשר נעבור גבולך. We won't turn right or left until we come out on the other side of your border. Let us just cut through your land from one border to the other, we won't take or touch anything. Vayomer eilav Edom. And what's Edom's answer? Lo ta'avor bi. Nope. פן בחרב אצא לקראתך. It's going to escalate, it's going to turn into a conflict. You can't. You can't. Now, the Jewish people said we're going to go up the highway, if we drink your water, I'll pay the price. Nothing will happen. Just let us go on foot. Nope, you're not passing through. And from here, Edom refused to let us through. And that cruelty, that cruelty, that lack of kindness, particularly when we showed kindness to their ancestor. And here, when we were in our time of need, they were cruel and couldn't be kind. We have a long memory and we didn't soon forget. And therefore they can't marry into our people. Vayishlach Moshe malachim, says the Agra DeKalla, Benei Yisaschar, in the Imrot Tehorot. מבאר עניין דהנה יעקב ועשו נחלקו בנחלת שתי עולמות. When Yaakov and Esav passed, part ways, Edom descend from Esav. Edom, by the way, are the progenitors of Christendom, modern-day Christianity, descend from Edom. And Edom themselves descend from Esav. So when Yaakov and Esav, two twin brothers, split part ways and they divide the world in two, יעקב לקח עולם הבא ועולם הזה שייך לעשו. Yaakov took the world to come and Esav lives in this world. And Yaakov also lives in this world but he's living for the world to come. And Esav living exclusively for here and now, carpe diem, seize pleasure, seize the moment, here and now. אם כן כל עסקי אכילה ושתייה וכן שאר ענייני עולם הזה הכל שייך רק לעשו בלבד. All the pleasures of this world. Esav is the paradigm of hedonism, the pleasures of this world. וקשה איך יכולים בני ישראל לאכול ולשתות ולעסוק בשאר ענייני עולם הזה? So that's the case, how can we, the children, the offspring, the progeny of Yaakov, how do we enjoy a good meal? How do we enjoy a good drink? How do we enjoy a good nap? A good shluf? Those are all the pleasures that belong to the world of Esav. We live for the world to come. Get back in the beis medrash, go back to shiur, open the siddur and the Tehillim, what are you doing? רק האמת היא שכל מה שעוסקים ישראל בענייני עולם הזה הכל הוא רק מה שנוגע לצורך חלקם מחיי עולם הבא. The answer is we're able to engage, our mission and our mandate is to engage the physical components of this world with an eye to where? The world to come. So we're enjoying and we're benefiting by uplifting and by transforming this world to serve us towards the world to come. And this is what Israel sent to Esav. Who is Edom? Na'avrah na b'artzecha. Here the Jewish people, we the descendants of Ya'akov of Yisrael are sending Edom the descendants of Esav. Let us plant, let us pass through b'artzecha. Let us go through your Artzius. Artzius, Eretz means land. But Artzius means physical, material. Let us pass through your materialistic world שתתן לנו לעסוק קצת בענייני ארציות באכילה ושתיה ושאר ענייני עולם הזה שכל זה הוא חלק השייך לך בענייני עולם הזה אבל לא נעבור בשדה ובכרם ולא נשתה מי באר כלומר לא נעסוק בענייני ארציות בדרך עבירה ותאוה. Let us pass through your physical material mundane world, but not because we're going to indulge in some hedonistic way, but rather Derech hamelech neileich. We're only going to go on the King's highway. We're going to go, who's the Melech? Derech hamelech, we'll engage the physical material mundane world, how? Derech hamelech. We're going to lift it to have it in the service of Hashem, to have it serve Chayei Olam Haba, the world to come ולא נטה מדרך התורה ימין ושמאל עד אשר נעבור גבולך till we've get out of this world, till we pass through the other boundary and border of this world. Such a beautiful reading of this very pasuk, that what Moshe was saying was not only a geographic description. Moshe was not only asking how we can journey through the physical land, Moshe was really making a mission statement of our time here on earth. Esav could easily turn to us, the offspring of Ya'akov Yisrael, and say, what are you doing? I flipped through your Jewish magazines. What's going on with all the meat and meat boards? What's going on with all the fine wine? What's going on with all the physical, material? What's going on with the smorg and the five-star Michelin restaurants? What's going now, the first kosher what, what in the world is going on? That's my world. This is Olam Hazeh, that's my space, that's my place, that's my world. What are you doing here Ya'akov? What are you doing here Yisrael? What are you doing here Jewish people? And our answer is, we too live in this world, but while you think it's an ends, we think it's a means. While you live for here and now, we live for tomorrow. While you see this as what life is all about, we are using it to lift it and transform it for something bigger and better. So we too love the wine, but we use it to make Kiddush, we use it to host guests, we raise a glass to make a L'chaim and celebrate a simcha. And we too love and engage within moderation and boundaries the physical, but we do it how? Derech hamelech neileich. We do it in the service of the King, of Hashem. We know how, nothing wrong with a beautiful home, host guests and host parlor meetings and host shiurim. There's nothing wrong with fine food, use it to imbibe and taste the Chayus, the greatness of Hashem, use it to have the energy to serve him, use it to treat and to host others. You, Esav, you do it because it's an ends, we live it as a means. You do it to indulge, we do it derech hamelech. That in this pasuk and statement is much more than a request for a visa to pass through a country, but it's really a mission statement for how we navigate and live in this world. Perek Chaf, Pasuk Chaf-Gimmel. ויסעו מקדש ויבואו בני ישראל כל העדה הר ההר. We journey from Kadesh and we arrive, everyone, at the Mount Hor. ויאמר ה' אל משה ואל אהרן בהר ההר על גבול ארץ אדום לאמר. And now God speaks to Moshe and Aharon over Hor ha-Har, brace yourself, get the tissues ready, because God tells Moshe and Aharon יאסף אהרן אל עמיו. It's time for Aharon to be gathered to his people כי לא יבא אל הארץ אשר נתתי לבני ישראל. He also, he too, is not coming into the promised land. I mamash get emotional, like you feel you're broken. Really? They built the whole campus, they're not there for the inauguration when you move in? They lead the people out of Egypt, take them through a desert, take this incorrigible miserable people, constantly swoop in and take care of them, and now they're not making it in? על אשר מריתם את פי למי מריבה. Now here the Torah tells us why, and here Aharon is associated with Moshe. Why are you two not entering the land? For the same reason as your brother. על אשר מריתם את פי למי מריבה, because you defied my word at the waters of Merivah. So now he tells Moshe קח את אהרן ואת אלעזר בנו, take Aharon and Elazar his son והעל אתם הר ההר, and take them and ascend on top of Mount Hor והפשט את אהרן את בגדיו והלבשתם את אלעזר. Aharon has to take off the uniform, the garments of the Kohen Gadol, the high priest. and dress his son Elazar in them and Aaron will be gathered and will die there. Now does Moshe say God how could you my older brother give him another chance give him a little more time? No. ויעש משה כאשר צוה ה. Moshe follows and they climb the mountain and he takes the clothing off his brother and he dresses Elazar. Picture this: Moshe who knows how this ends. Moshe is taking... can you picture the scene? So powerful. Moshe the younger brother who rose perhaps to greater prominence but only with the assistance of his brother by his side. Each time they went to the palace in Egypt every time they've taught Torah Aaron was more connected to the people while Moshe was more aloof and distant. And now knowing that when he's done with this particular command it means his brother will be gone. He takes the garments off Aaron and he puts them on his nephew Elazar וימת אהרן שם בראש ההר and Aaron expires the top of the mountain. וירד משה ואלעזר מן ההר and Moshe and Elazar come down the mountain without Aaron. And the people see and they cry for 30 days sheloshim 30 days kol beis Yisrael whole Jewish people. And why do they react that way? Because Aaron is so beloved. Aaron is the great peacemaker. Aaron's the one who they think when there's strife when there's conflict when everything's going to fall apart he's the one who brings them together. He brings peace and harmony tells them everything's going to be okay. He's relatable and he's connected and he makes everything alright. And now he's gone. Moshe and Elazar return without him. So powerful so painful. Says the Tiferes Shmuel: על גבול ארץ אדום. Where does this take place? על גבול ארץ אדום. Go back to how we started. על גבול ארץ אדום פרק פסוק כג. God tells Moshe and Aaron go on the boundary of Edom and that's where Aaron's going to die. Rashi says מגיד שבשביל שנתחברו כאן להרשע נפרצו מעשיהם. It's because they connected here. What does it mean to be on the border of Edom? You were on the border of behaving like Esav Harasha. Too connected too close for comfort. Asks the Tiferes Shmuel tzarich iyun we have a question: כיצד הייתה השפעת בני עשיו שגרמה שנפרצו מעשיהם והסתלקותו של אהרן הכהן הלא בני עשיו לא הניחו כל ישראל אפילו לדרוך כף רגליהם בתוך ארצם. We weren't even allowed to enter. So how were we influenced? Remember the king of Edom said no you can't pass through. No visa for you. So what do you mean you came too close? What do you mean we assimilated? What do you mean we were led astray? Ve'od tzarich iyun moreover כיון דאית לעשו שנאה גדולה כל כך we know that הלכה עשו שונא ליעקב is an axiom of history that Esav and their descendants hate the Jewish people. So what do you mean they let us in and they influenced us negatively? Says Rav Shmuel Bornstein יסוד מה כוח היצר גדול מאוד האדם מושפע כל כך מהדברים שסביבו. We are so influenced from our surroundings even if we're not in it even if we're I'll use another contemporary word we're just adjacent to it. We were living Edom-adjacent. It's a new expression. Edom-adjacent. We weren't in we weren't allowed in. You know that chevra the cool kids the one misbehaving pushing the envelope experimenting doing the things you weren't supposed to? You're not only negatively influenced when they let you in and you join them hook line and sinker but even when you're just adjacent to that group. Even when you're on the periphery in the outside even when you're living on the border and the boundary because you're trying to soak it up and you're trying to get in and you're trying to absorb that too can bring us down. And that's the message: על גבול ארץ אדום. So pernicious and so dangerous is exposure to the contagion of negative influences that not only when we assimilate into them but even when we're on the periphery of them. Even just being closely connected to them that's enough that could bring us down. אזוי זאגט רב שמואל בארנשטיין and we've got internet issues yet again all from Hashem so we're calm and we're embracing our internet place and why this keeps... that's why we're taking off two weeks can't take it anymore. Okay moving right along. פרק כ פסוק כד. Let's see if it's going to come back. Come back internet. Come on please come back. Pasuk kaf-daled: yei'asef el amav. Why is it described yei'asef el amav? When our great leaders passed away the Torah describes them as having been collected to the people veyei'asef. Why not just write vayamas? They died. What does it mean to be collected? collected to their people. What does that even mean? So the Amros Tehoros, the great Rachmastrivker here jumps in. And he quotes the Tiferes Shlomo. The heilige Tiferes Shlomo says the following. יאסף אל עמיו כתב שיש להבין למה נכתב פטירת אהרן בלשון אסיפה. Why is the death of Aaron described with the language of asifa? Oh, some people are still here. What a miracle. We're back in. Baruch Hashem. Thank you for hanging in, people. Thank you for sticking with us. Why do we describe the death of Aaron with the language of asifa? וכן מצינו לשון זה באברהם אבינו. We see this also with Avraham. Avraham is described as vayeasef el amov, vayeasef el amov. מצינו שדרשו חז\"ל שם ואתה תבוא אל אבותיך בשלום שתרח עשה תשובה ומכל מקום תקשה איך לאמר הצדיק כאברהם שיאסף אל תרח. So Chazal say, what does it mean that he was gathered to his people? He was gathered to his father Terach, but Terach was not righteous. So who was gathered to whom? Avraham to Terach, Terach to Avraham? What's going on? ומבואר כי בעת שנפטרים הצדיקים מעולם הזה לחיי עולם הבא, when our righteous die, when they pass away, when they leave this world to go to the world to come, היה אפשר לחשוב שאחר שנסתלק הצדיק מן העולם שוב אין עוד בעולם ואין לו עוד שייכות לעולם הזה. We might think that the righteous people that we love, when they leave this world, they're gone and they're gone forever. Physical body is gone, they're physically no longer here is the same as saying that they are no longer here, that they're no longer here. אולם האמת אינו כן, but that's not the truth. אלא אף אחר פטירתם עדיין נשארים הצדיקים עם כלל ישראל. The righteous, even in their death are called alive. The wicked, even while they're alive, they're dead. The wicked who so violated their soul and their mission and their purpose, the wicked even while they're alive, they're dead, and the righteous even while they're dead, they're still alive. How are they still alive? Just think about on an average week, who we're quoting? Some who lived hundreds, if not thousands of years ago. Is Moshe Rabbeinu not still very much alive? There are people right now who have a pulse but they're dead. Their negative impact on the world, they're having forfeited their purpose in creation, they're dead while they're alive. While Moshe Rabbeinu, Aaron HaKohen, Aaron HaKohen, every time we invoke his name, and every time we bestow his brachos, and every time we pursue peace in his name, every time we say Aaron, Aaron, every child called Aaron, every my father's Hebrew name אבי מורי משה אהרן, every Aaron, every time you mention his name Aaron's still alive, Moshe's still alive. The righteous even while they're gone are still here, even when they die are still very much alive. ומה שאנו רואים שהצדיק נסתלק מן העולם זה אינו כי אם לעיני בשר. That which we think they died, they didn't die. People don't die, bodies die. באמת אין שום חילוק וכאז כן עתה עדיין נשאר הצדיק בעבודתו. The righteous is still here, he goes on. That's what it means יאסף אהרן אל עמיו, it means the people said Aaron we buried your body, but we're gathering your spirit and your soul. We're going to name our children after you and we're going to quote you and we're going to continue to say your teachings, cause you're still here. Your body might be gone but you, you're still here. And that, says the Tiferes Shlomo, that's why every time the righteous die we call it yeasef el amov, they are gathered to their people. Because the wicked, eh, who needs you, you're not here even while you're alive, you're gone even while you're still alive. But the righteous even while their body's gone we gather, we gather their memory and we gather their soul and we gather their sayings and we gather their name and we hold on and we hold on dearly and they're very much still alive even while they're physically gone. And that's why the word used to describe their passing is vayeasef, we've gathered them. Where does this happen on? Moshe takes Aaron and Elazar up to the top of Hor Ha-har, Mount Har. כתב המנחם ציון האדם נוצר לטפס כל ימיו מעומק השפל של חייו לעלות מדריגות רוחניות עד פסקת ההר. We are born in the valley and the whole lives we're trying to climb to make it to the top of the mountain. We're growth-oriented, we're bnei aliya, always trying to improve and grow and ascend and go higher and higher. Kide-chasiv as the pasuk says, מי יעלה בהר ה'? Who will climb, who will be worthy of making it on the mountain of God? ישנם יחידי סגולה שמצליחים לטפס לעלות מדריגה עוד יותר גבוהה. There are some who don't just make it to the top of the mountain, where do they go? They make it to Hor Ha-har, the top of the mountain of the mountain. Making it on top of the mountain of the mountain. And Aaron here, he says the Menachem Tzion, Aaron merited to see something that many don't get to see in their lives. Namely, if Aaron... Aaron made it to the top of the mountain, his son is going where? Hor Hahar, the mountain on the mountain. A Yiddishe, a great wish we have is that our children surpass us. To see our children go higher than us, do greater and better than us. Chazal, the Gemara says: lachol adam mitkaneh, we're capable of being envious and jealous of all, chutz mibeno vetalmido. Talmido is like beno. On with the exception of our children and our students. If our students, if we love our students like our children, then our students are like our children and our children are like our students. They're synonyms, they're really one and the same. Zeh bazeh. They're really one and the same. We're never jealous of them. If you see a parent who's jealous of a child, there's something incredibly unhealthy happening. The parent who says: I don't want them to be more popular, I don't want them to do better on their SATs, I don't want them to make more money, I don't want them to know more Torah, I don't want them to have more followers, I don't want them to live in a bigger house. I don't want—that parent who doesn't want their child to surpass them, they're doing something wrong. The greatest wish and aspiration of a Jewish parent is: be bigger, be better, do more, be greater than I am. I want you to surpass me. If I made it on the mountain, on the har, I want to take you up to Hor Hahar. I want you to take my clothing and I'll give it to you and dress you, and I will transmit, I'll hand the baton to you, and that you'll be Hor Hahar. I've quoted before my uncle, Rabbi Eli Lazar zichrono livracha, used to say at the bris of his grandchildren that this is what we say at a bris: zeh hakatan, we say זה הקטן גדול יהיה. May this kid be great. May this minor be a major. May the child be an adult. זה הקטן גדול יהיה. But he would add a word: זה הקטן גדול ממני יהיה. May this child be greater than I am. May he surpass me, may they be greater than I am. That is the ultimate hope and that's what Aaron got to do, to go on the Hor Hahar even higher. Let's move to Parshas Balak. Let's give a little time to Parshas Balak. Perek chaf-bet, pasuk bet, beginning of the opening of Parshas Balak. This is a tough שנים מקרא ואחד תרגום week. You gotta cover ground, stay on your game, every day do what you have to. That day's aliyah, 'cause otherwise you're gonna fall behind. This is a tough one. Page 856: וירא בלק בן צפור את כל אשר עשה ישראל לאמורי. Balak the son of Tzippor saw all that God did to the Emori. Who is this Balak? Who is this Balak that he saw? So Balak is the son of Tzippor. Okay. Is that such a prominent lineage? Balak says the Menachem Tzion: בלק היה אזרח פשוט. He was a simple everyday citizen. He was a nobody, nobody special. אבל הקדים לראות את הסכנה הצפויה למואב מאת בני ישראל והזהיר לקראתה את עמו ומיד מינוהו למלך. What happened? How did he rise to greatness? Balak is the king. But he has very humble beginnings. He's not born into royalty. There's nothing exceptional about him. So what earns him that position of king? Just like what many others did to rise. Like Hitler, yemach shemo vezichro, who didn't come from any position of greatness, prominence, any lineage. How did he rise? By being a demagogue. And where do they focus their rhetoric? Specifically against the Jewish people. We've seen it in history, and we see it playing out now. How do grifters and groypers make their money and gain their followers? Why do they descend to this place? By turning against the Jewish people. לכן נאמר בלק בן צפור מלך למואב בעת ההיא. The Torah tells us he was the king in that time. אזרח פשוט בן לאב פשוט עלה לגדולה על כסא המלוכה רק בשביל שנאתו העזה לישראל. This simple citizen, who was the son of a simple citizen, rose to power, to the throne of the king, only because of his intense hate for the Jew. Because he blamed the Jew for the ills of society. Because he directed all of his rhetoric against the Jew. Chazal, our rabbis say in Gittin: כל המיצר לישראל נעשה ראש. Whoever can be the biggest, most aggravating against the Jew, will get to the most prominent spot. Whoever becomes the loudest spokesperson against the Jew is given the biggest microphone. Because that's the world. Also in our parsha we'll get to: הן עם לבדד ישכון. Because Bilam prophesies that we are a nation that lives alone. We are destined to be lonely. destined to be lonely. Even the people we think have stood by us, ויקם מלך חדש אשר לא ידע יוסף, those same leaders who were our best friends could all of a sudden become unrecognizable to us, abandon us, and we shouldn't be surprised by it because it's a fulfillment of the promise that we will always dwell alone and we'll go at it alone. We're never ever alone because we have the Almighty, of course. That's the paradox. We are the least alone of any people on earth because we have Hashem, but we are the most alone from the United Nations of the world who condemn us disproportionately, who hate us regularly, and that's the space that we live in. On the one hand, from the hand of Providence we are the least alone. We have the most Providence of Hashem who directs everything that happens to us. We're the least alone and the most alone at the same time. And it's when we feel the most alone that we have to remember that we're the least alone. And when we put too much trust in thinking we're not alone is when we need the one who leaves us least alone the most. We have to know who's in charge and where it comes from. So as we learn in parsha perspectives all the time, history just repeats itself and we're seeing it again in our time. And this is Bilaam. I said it last year and I'm turning it into my article, spoiler alert for this week for this year. Rabbi Sacks zichrono livracha said that's Bilaam. Chazal, our rabbis say Bilaam is bli am. No problem, I'm for rent. Whoever will pay me the most, Qatar, you're paying the most, then I'll represent you, I'll curse the Jewish people. Ah, when I thought it was good to stand with the Jews, then I was a good friend of the Jews in Israel, but it's more profitable to be with Qatar, no problem, that's Bilaam. Bilaam will curse or bless whoever he's hired to. He doesn't have principles. There's no consistency, reliability, or faithfulness. The very name, the etymology of Bilaam is bli am. He has no national loyalties, bli am. He has no loyalty, bli am. Moshe Rabbeinu's בכל ביתי נאמן הוא. Faithfulness, consistency, trustworthiness, reliability. Grifters and gripers are nothing new, Bilaam is the first one. He is for hire. However he'll get the most followers, ad revenue, whatever will bring in the most money, no problem. It's a bidding war. Qatar, Saudi Arabia, it's a bidding war. Whoever will give the most money, he's up for bidding because bli am, Bilaam, he doesn't have a nation. So Balak too, ba'eis hahi, says the Menachem Tzion, how did Balak rise to greatness? Simply. You know how? Because he spoke out against the Jews. Whoever speaks out against the Jews, you know the story. He goes to get Bilaam. Bilaam is this great prophet of the nations. Bilaam is as great potentially as Moshe. In order to avoid the nations saying, if only we had a leader like Moshe, you did, Bilaam. He could have been, but he wasn't. But he could have been. And Bilaam is hired by Balak, and here we have in the text it sounds like he hesitates, I can't go, I need God's permission. He sounds like some great Tzadik, like he's some righteous guy. But here's where the Torah sheba'al peh, the oral Torah, fills in that Bilaam is duplicitous and dishonest and really scheming in his whole arrogant attitude all along. And finally God acquiesces and gives in and Bilaam goes, and he's on his donkey. This donkey is more than just his mode of transportation. This donkey he has this illicit inappropriate relationship with, which tells you so much about Bilaam. This chamor, same donkey by the way, the donkey that was created at the time of creation, bein hashmashos of creation, this is the same donkey Avram rode to take Yitzchak on the binding of Yitzchak, akeidas Yitzchak, the same donkey Moshe rode down to Egypt to liberate the people is the same donkey. Wow, this donkey must be old. Goodness gracious, this donkey is old. It's not the same donkey. The Maharal talks about chamor is chomer. The image of the donkey is chamor, donkey is chomer, chomer means physical, material. We are meant to ride the material, to give it a tzura, to give it a shape, to use it, to lift it, to transform it. Whereas Bilaam had an inappropriate relationship with it, was defined by it. What's our attitude towards the material physical world? And then the donkey sees an angel blocking its path and stops. Bilaam is bothered so he hits it, and all of a sudden the donkey starts speaking. Whoa, buddy, boyfriend, what are you doing? I thought we had something special. What are you smacking me around? Calling Shomrim task force, what are you doing? Calling the hotline. What are you doing hitting me? And what's the conversation that ensues? פרק כב פסוק Chaf Chet, page 860. ויפתח ה' את פי האתון, God opened the mouth of the donkey. ותאמר לבלעם מה עשיתי לך, what did I do to you? כי הכיתני זה שלוש רגלים, what did I do to you that hit you, you hit me three times? Now that language, Shalosh Regalim, you've hit me on three occasions, you hit me three times, is not a coincidence. Zagt Der Rashi, that language Shalosh Regalim should spark something. What are those words, where else do we see those words Shalosh Regalim? Shalosh Regalim is an allusion to the three pilgrimage festivals: Pesach, Shavuos, and Succos. רמז לו את מבקש לעקור אומה החוגגת שלוש רגלים בשנה, you're trying to uproot and curse and destroy the nation that observes the three holidays? What are you doing? The donkey was implicitly giving Mussar, rebuke, to Bilaam. You want me to transport you to the place that you're going to curse the nation that keeps the Shalosh Regalim, these three holidays? What are you doing? So on the surface what he said was, why did you hit me three times, Shalosh Regalim? But says Rashi what he was really saying was, why are you trying to have me take you to a place you're going to curse the nation that observes the Shalosh Regalim? Wonders Rav Menachem Tzion Zacks, listen to this insight. מדוע רמז על המצוה הזאת שלוש רגלים, of all mitzvos to allude to, of all mitzvos to define the people by, why the Shalosh Regalim? Could have said you're taking me to curse this people that keeps Shabbos, taking me to curse the people that observe Kosher, taking me to observe the people who don't gossip or are honest in business, why the Shalosh Regalim? ובכלל מהו הניגוד של ג' רגלים זה שמבקש לעקור אומה, what do the Shalosh Regalim have to do with you're trying to uproot the people? Yesh Lehasbir, says Rav Menachem Tzion Zacks, you can explain: כי עלייה לרגל סימלה את כוח הסבל של אומת ישראל. Aliyah L'regel, the fact that three times a year the Jewish people, two to three million spread throughout Israel, nevertheless make their way not El Al, business or premium economy or extra legroom or all the way in the back, but rather on the donkey, on the camel, packing their things with their elderly and their children, make their way to Yerushalayim three times a year, is the ultimate demonstration of the power of the patience and the flexibility of the Jewish people. Gimel Pe'amim Bashanah, three times a year the Jews come from all corners of the land to travel on difficult roads, in difficult conditions, without access to running water or showers, transporting their food needs and everything they have. And you know what? They never complain. They never hesitate. They never back out. They never cancel. And when they get there to Yerushalayim, and now they pack into this small place called the Beis Hamikdash. And the Mishna tells us in Pirkei Avos that one of the miracles that happened there was, even though so many packed in, it never felt full. It never felt squeezed in. It never felt claustrophobic. Nobody ever complained there was no room. And that's what the donkey is telling Bilaam. He says, I'm walking you along this little narrow place, and it got a little too narrow for you? The walls were a little tight? I scratched your leg a little bit, Mr. Bilaam? You're trying to curse a people, do you know the conditions that they can take? Do you know the patience that they demonstrate? Do you know how they live for what they believe in? You don't believe in what you're doing, or this little narrow walkway wouldn't bother you in the least. Do you know this people, what they're willing to endure, how they're willing to live? Our precious soldiers who continue to fight in Lebanon, in Gaza, and around Israel, and risk their lives, and still too many losses that our hearts go out. They're still living without showers and without food and without taking off their boots and without being with their family for prolonged periods of time. And why are they doing it? Fighting to do it. I'll say it again because I'm so proud of him. My forty-seven-year-old younger brother fought for the last two years to be able to serve in the army and broke in. They didn't want him, I love him but understandably didn't need him in combat. He's a billion times smarter and more righteous than I'll ever be. He's a rabbi and a doctor, but he wanted to lend his medical expertise. And he's right now finishing his month of basic training because he fought his way in at forty-seven years old. And every day we get these, I hate to sound say adorable, unbelievable pictures of my brother I don't recognize, his helmet carrying his gun training to look around the corner with his gray beard and his gray hair and forty-seven years of wonderful experience in this world. And he's away from his family, he's sacrificing for it. And forget, I could elaborate, my nephews and all of your family and our family. I'm no one special, just personal to me and I'm sharing it with you. I'm in awe and admiration and endless gratitude to those. And why are they living in those conditions? Because we have a mission and a purpose. Because we have a mission and a plan and they're willing to endure those conditions because they're living for something bigger and greater. And that is exactly what the donkey was telling Bilam. You can't make it through this narrow little place. Oh, I'm so sorry, I bumped your leg. I'm so sorry, I got some dust on your, on your fancy... I can't even remember the name of a fancy company right now to make fun of it. What are the fanciest shoes? Ferragamo, that's what I was trying to think of actually. I'm so sorry, I got some dust on your Ferragamos. I'm so sorry, Bilam. We got some dust, I scuffed up your Ferragamos, I'm so sorry. Now you're having a conniption, you want to back off, you want to back away, you want to cancel the whole trip because I got some dust on your Ferragamos? You understand how the Jewish people are living? Shalosh Regalim, what they endure to go up, the tents they live in, how they pack into the Beis Hamikdash, and you're complaining because you got a little dust on your Ferragamos. That's a... you'll never defeat them. You'll never beat them. You can't ever curse them. You've got no shot against them. That's the mussar he was giving. That's what says the Menachem Tzion. Shalosh Regalim. Shalosh Regalim is, oh, they keep three holidays, what are you doing? No, it's not they keep three, it's what they give up. It's how they keep three holidays. That is what... you can never defeat them because how they live. Okay, we had a lot more as usual to get to. Mi manah afar, מה טובו אהליך יעקב, Bilam gives us a tfillah we say every morning in our own davening. We had a lot more to get to, but I had to speak about my brother instead. Okay, Baruch Hashem, what can I tell you, I'm proud. Im yirtzeh Hashem we should hear besoros tovos, please stay and say Tehillim. So much to daven for, should hear good news, Hashem always has a plan and even if the world leaves us feeling lonely, we couldn't be less lonely when we know we're under His providence and His hand. Have a wonderful day, have a wonderful couple weeks, we'll see you in two weeks.
