Transcript
Good morning, בוקר טוב Boker tov, welcome back to Parsha Perspectives for today coming at you live from the ספרדי בית מדרש Sefardi Beis Midrash. Thank you all, ברוך השם Baruch Hashem, we had a ברית Bris this morning. So grateful to everybody accommodating into our new location here this morning. פרשה Parsha series, פרשה Parsha Perspective series for the year generously sponsored by Becky and Avi Katz and family, our dear friends in memory of Becky's father David Grossman, לעילוי נשמת דוד בן מנחם מנש L'ilui nishmas Dovid ben Menachem Manush. I'm not mentioning the global campaign because it's done, and you've heard more than enough about it, other than to mention that we're still $4,000 short of our goal. We're at $146,000, want to get to 150. If you've not yet given, feel free to still give. Even though I'm not mentioning it anymore, there still are opportunities if you've not yet contributed, participated, done your part to help us share and spread our Torah, brsonline.org/global, brsonline.org/global. But as I said, I'm not mentioning it at all. We have the privilege of reading פרשת שמיני Parshas Shmini, page 588 in the ArtScroll Stone חומש Chumash. And we continue with our storyline. We take a little break, a little deviation from the קרבנות korbanos themselves. Our פרשה parsha is a very tragic story. Our פרשה parsha can be defined, we've spoken in years past, that if there's one theme that runs throughout our פרשה parsha, it is the theme of a חק chok. It is the theme of that which is incomprehensible to us. The end of the פרשה parsha are the laws of כשרות kashrus, which we'll get to. The end of the פרשה parsha are the laws of what's כשר kosher or not כשר kosher to eat, which according to many is a חק chok. Some want to suggest כשרות kashrus is about health, although if you've looked at many people who keep כשר kosher, clearly, present company excluded, but clearly keeping כשר kosher is not automatically a recipe for a healthy living, or good cholesterol or unclogged arteries. You know, קישקע kishka's perfectly כשר kosher, and it's perfectly deliciously unhealthy. And many other examples. So many of the מפרשים mefarshim explain that כשרות kashrus is really a חק chok. At the end of the day, God says, this is what you can eat and this is what you can't eat, and while it conditions us to a life of discipline, to be careful what goes in our mouth, what comes out of our mouth, ultimately, we bow, we submit and surrender to השם Hashem. He says to do and we do. So according to many, כשרות kashrus is a חק chok and similarly, the story at the beginning of our פרשה parsha, the tragic, tragic death of נדב ואביהוא Nadav v'Avihu, unexplainable and incomprehensible. Even though there are so many suggestions as to why it happened, ultimately, we don't know and we don't know for sure. And a common theme therefore in our פרשה parsha, as we've mentioned in the past, is when we are willing to surrender to God both in law and in life. Sometimes we surrender through following His laws. A חק chok, we say we don't understand, doesn't make sense, doesn't seem right. We can't understand it, and yet, we are prepared to do it. So there's a חק chok in law and there's a חק chok in life. There's a חק chok in the way we live as well. Sometimes life throws at us curve balls. We say we don't understand it, it doesn't make sense to us, and yet, just like we have to obey and surrender to the הלכה halacha whether we understand it or not, similarly, we have to obey and surrender to life and what it deals us, whether we understand it or not. Okay, with that we begin page 588. פרק ט, פסוק א Perek Tes, Pasuk Aleph, the beginning of פרשת שמיני Parshas Shmini. ויהי ביום השמיני Vayehi bayom hashmini, קרא משה לאהרן ולבניו ולזקני ישראל kara Moshe l'Aharon ul'vanav ul'ziknei Yisrael. It was on the eighth day that Moshe called that קרא משה לאהרן ולבניו kara Moshe l'Aharon ul'vanav, Moshe called Aaron and his sons, ולזקני ישראל ul'ziknei Yisrael and to the elders. It was the eighth day of what? Eighth day since what? Eighth day since organizing the practice dry run, dress rehearsal of the משכן Mishkan. This was really opening day. Opening day you wouldn't describe as the eighth day, you describe it as the opening day. Why did we describe opening day as the eighth day rather than the first day? We've discussed that in the past as well. I think last year's פרשה שיעור parsha shiur we focused on that. You can listen, you know you're allowed to listen to more than one פרשה שיעור parsha shiur a year. There is no, there is no expiration date. So I think we talked about that last year. ויהי ביום השמיני Vayehi bayom hashmini. Rav Moshe asks in his דרש משה Drash Moshe, מדוע היתה צריכה להיות קריאה מיוחדת לאהרן ולבניו Madua hayta tzricha l'hiyos kriya miyuchedes l'Aharon ul'vanav? הם היו שם כל שבעת ימי המילואים Heim hayu sham kol shivas yemei hamiluim. Aaron and his sons were present for the whole dress rehearsal. Moshe did the dress rehearsal, which was sort of a tease to him. He really craved this position. He did not get it. He was told you don't get this position, but you get to dress and rehearse and be the understudy as if you do. But ultimately when it's showtime, on opening day, you are not, you are a spectator. So Aaron and his sons were present even as Moshe did the dress rehearsal. So why does Moshe need to call them now? They're already there. You call someone who's not there to come, but if someone's already there, you don't need to call them to come. Says Rav Moshe, in his דרש משה Drash Moshe, says Rav Moshe, התורה מלמדת אותנו HaTorah melamdes osanu, שיצא אהרן ולבניו לקיים מצוה כמצוה חדשה sheyeitzei Aharon ul'vanav l'kayem mitzvah k'mitzva chadasha. כאילו בא עכשיו מביתו K'ilu bo achshav mibeiso. Because the Torah is transmitting, it's communicating to us, it's emphasizing that when we do a מצוה mitzvah, even if we're in the midst of it, even if we're continuing it, even if we're familiar with it, it has to be for us like we're doing it anew. It has to be for us like we're doing it from the start, like we're doing it again. Every time fresh, every time a beginning, every time anew. למשה בא לקיים מצוות המילואים בשבעה והזהרה L'Moshe ba l'kayem mitzvos hamiluim b'shiva v'hazhara, כדי שיהיו בשמחה כגובלי מצוה ראשונה k'dei sheyiyu b'simcha k'govlei mitzva rishona, כשמחה שבמתן תורה k'simcha sheb'Mattan Torah. We always talk about היום hayom, the notion of today. Every day it should be as fresh. מודה אני Modeh Ani, wow, it's like the first time I ever said it. שחרית Shachris, wow, it's amazing. פרשת שמיני Parshas Shmini, I've read the פרשה parsha, learned the פרשה parsha, studied the פרשה parsha for decades, but each time we open it, we should be at the edge of our seat. What's gonna happen? How will Aaron react? What's the next thing that will happen? These laws of כשרות kashrus, wow, that's fascinating. הארה ורעיון שנזכור בכל מצוה לעורר ולשנן Ha'or v'reino shenizkor b'chol mitzvah l'orev v'hashno, להתנהג אליה כחדשה l'hisnagea eileha k'chadasha. We should arouse, awaken ourselves that our attitude should be as if it's brand new. כמו שרק אז נצטוה מנותן התורה K'mo she'rak az nitztava m'nosen haTorah. As if right now we were commanded from the giver of the Torah. As if right now, it's a new. You can't believe it. I'll tell you something I'll probably regret right after I say it. I'm grateful of course for every one of my children, deeply, deeply, profoundly grateful. You know I have six daughters and a son. I never thought that there'd be that son and ברוך השם Baruch Hashem the son came. And I, he's now nine years old and I have a collection of pictures that I take every night while he's sleeping. I go in his room, I look at him and I say, השם Hashem, I still can't believe he's here. Every one of my, my girls too. I stop and I kiss and I take pictures. I say each one of them I can't believe they're here and it's true. But every day it's like a new, like, whoa, I can't, it's like he was just born. Wow. I can't believe it. Each of my kids, each of your grandchildren, you could have a child who's 50 years old. None of you look like you have 50 year old children. I'm just saying. In theory, theoretically, others, you could have a child who's 50 years old and you say I'm so blessed. It's like they were born today. It's like I just gave birth to them. What a ברכה bracha. It's unbelievable. So צדיקים tzaddikim, that's our attitude towards מצוות mitzvos. It doesn't grow old and stale and wrote. We don't do it out of habit. It's always new. So even though they were present all along, Aaron and his sons, ויהי ביום השמיני Vayehi bayom hashmini, קרא משה לאהרן kara Moshe l'Aharon. Moshe calls him, he says, come here, check this out. There's something called the משכן Mishkan. We're gonna press play, we're pressing go, we're gonna get started. I, you were here all along, you saw the entire dress rehearsal. So what? So what? It's new, it's fresh, it's a beginning, it's gonna be absolutely incredible. None of you should tell my family I told that story, please. פרק ט Perek Tes, I told you I'd regret it. Let's keep going. So Aaron, he told them bring an עגל בן בקר eigel ben bakar, לחטאת ואיל לעולה l'chatas v'ayil l'olah, לפני השם lifnei Hashem. What he was meant to bring on this opening day is an עגל eigel. Now, for Aaron, would it be triggering to bring an עגל eigel? For Aaron to interact with an עגל eigel, take a young עגל eigel, young bull, would that be triggering? Why? Aaron has some bad memories with an עגל eigel. In fact, there's an entire episode and a sin that's named for him. It's called the חטא העגל Cheit Ha'eigel. So in fact, that's exactly what happens here. He's told to bring all these things, ויקחו אשר צוה משה אל פני אהל מועד v'yikchu asher tziva Moshe el pnei ohel moed, ויקרבו כל העדה ויעמדו לפני השם v'yikrivu kol ha'eida v'yaamdu lifnei Hashem. ויאמר משה זה הדבר אשר צוה השם Vayomer Moshe zeh hadavar asher tziva Hashem, this is the commandment, and then פסוק ו pasuk vav, פסוק ז pasuk zayin. ויאמר משה אל אהרן קרב אל המזבח Vayomer Moshe el Aharon krav el hamizbeach. נו Nu, come close. What are you doing? What are you hesitating? Why are you so far away? נו Nu, don't be shy. Come here. Come close. ועשה את חטאתך ואת עלתך V'asei es chatas'cha v'es olasecha, וכפר בעדך ובעד העם v'chaper ba'ad'cha u'va'ad ha'am, bring the קרבנות korbanos you're meant to bring, achieve the atonement for yourself and the people. ועשה את קרבן העם וכפר בעדם V'asei es korban ha'am v'chaper ba'adam, כאשר צוה השם ka'asher tziva Hashem. This too we spoke about in the past, so we will not belabor. However, Rashi tells us why was he hesitating? קרב אל המזבח Krav el hamizbeach. I'll come more to this in a moment, but why was he hesitating? שהיה אהרן בוש ויָרֵא לגשת Shehaya Aharon bosh v'yarei lageshes. He was hesitating, he was embarrassed, he was ashamed, he was resistant and reluctant to come close. Why? Because עגל eigel, עגל eigel. He said, oh, עגל eigel. Maybe I'm not worthy. Maybe I haven't really done atonement. Maybe I'm not fully forgiven. Maybe I don't belong coming close. So אמר לו משה amar lo Moshe, Moshe says, למה אתה בוש lama ata bosh? What are you embarrassed about? What are you hesitating for? לכך נבחרת L'chach nivcharta. This is why you were chosen. This is your mission, this is your mandate. נו Nu, step up to the plate, opening day, this is your job. This is your job. So let's start, go back to פרק ט פסוק ו Perek Tes, Pasuk Vav. ויאמר משה זה הדבר Vayomer Moshe, zeh hadavar, this is the thing, אשר צוה השם תעשו asher tziva Hashem ta'asu, that God said to do, וירא אליכם v'yera aleichem, כבוד השם k'vod Hashem. The glory of השם Hashem will appear to you. וירא אליכם כבוד השם V'yera aleichem k'vod Hashem, the glory of השם Hashem will appear to you. The מדרש Midrash says on this פסוק pasuk, the מדרש תנחומא Midrash Tanchuma, אמר להם משה לישראל Amar lahem Moshe l'Yisrael, Moshe told the Jewish people, אותו יצר הרע העבירו מלבכם Oso yeitzer hara ha'aviru m'libchem, ותהיו כולכם ביראה אחת v'tihyu kulchem b'yira achas. Get rid of the יצר הרע yeitzer hara. Stop being distracted. Stop listening to that voice of self-sabotage. Stop not believing. ותהיו כולכם ביראה אחת ועצה אחת לשרת לפני המקום V'tihyu kulchem b'yira achas v'eitza achas l'shareis lifnei hamakom. כשם שהוא יחיד בעולם K'shem shehu yachid ba'olam, כך תהיה עבודתכם מיוחדת לפניו יתברך kach tiheye avodaschem miyuchedes l'fanav yisborach. Just like God is singular and one in the world, so to your service of Him, your service of Him should be unique and singular and exclusive, should be focused, should not be fragmented or distracted. שנאמר ומלתם את ערלת לבבכם Shenemar u'maltem es orlas levavchem. As it says, circumcise the foreskin of your heart. מפני מה? כי אני השם אלוקיכם Mi'pnei mah? Ki Ani Hashem Elokeichem. Why? Because I'm the Lord your God. הוא אלהי האלהים ואדני האדנים, עשיתם כן וירא אליכם כבוד השם Hu Elokei ha'elokim v'adonei ha'adonim, aseisem kein v'yera aleichem k'vod Hashem. Says the הנצי\"ב HaNetziv, רב נפתלי צבי יהודה ברלין Rav Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin in העמק דבר Ha'amek Davar, says the הייליגע נצי\"ב Hailege Netizv, ישנה תופעה שאנשים צריכים להשגיח כאשר הם מלאים באהבת השם yeshna tofa'ah she'anashim tzrichim l'hashki'ach ka'asher heim mleim b'ahavas Hashem, הם אינם כפופים לגבולות שציוותה התורה לאהבה זו heim einam kfufim l'gvulos she'tzivsa haTorah l'ahavah zu. ויש בכוחם לעשות מה שברצונם לצורך מטרה זו V'yesh b'kocham la'asos ma she'b'ratzonam l'tzorech matara zu. Sometimes you feel when I'm on fire, when you're spiritually on fire, when you're doing phenomenally well, when you're feeling elevated and uplifting, when you're close and connected to השם Hashem, there is no boundary, and there are no borders. When you're on fire, pursue that fire, fan the flame of that fire, and do anything. לכך הזהיר אותם מיצר הרע זה L'chach hizhir osam m'yeitzer hara zeh, שידעו שגם תשוקה זו אף על פי שמטרתה להשיג אהבת השם וקדושה she'yeidu she'gam teshuka zu af al pi she'matarasa l'ha'asig ahavas Hashem u'kedusha, בכל זאת אם לא בדרך שמצווה התורה וחכמיה, זה דרך של יצר הרע b'chol zos im hilo b'derech she'm'tzaveh haTorah v'chachameha, zeh derech shel yeitzer hara. Sometimes when we're on fire, sometimes when a person is spiritually inspired, spiritually aroused, so now they think I can pursue uncharted territory. I can bring in my own creativity, ingenuity, spiritual entrepreneurship. There are no boundaries or borders for me because I'm on fire. I feel so connected to השם Hashem. That's a יצר הרע yeitzer hara. It's the יצר הרע yeitzer hara within being spiritually on fire. And that's where the מדרש Midrash tells us, that's what the Torah is warning. זה שאמר להם שיהיו כולכם ביראה אחת ובעצה אחת לשרת לפני המקום Ze sheamar lahem sheyihyu kulchem b'yira achas u've'eitzah achas l'shareis lifnei hamakom. What's the יצר הרע yeitzer hara when your יצר טוב yeitzer tov is doing phenomenally well? Where is the יצר הרע yeitzer hara? What do you have to worry about a יצר הרע yeitzer hara when your יצר טוב yeitzer tov is doing phenomenally well? The answer is, you may forget that you're so in love and you're so on fire with השם Hashem that it's not about what you want and it's not about how you feel and it's not about what makes sense to you for how to come close to him, but there's a prescription, there's a formula. You have to follow what השם Hashem says. You know, you can't decide, I'm so committed to my health and wellness, I'm so on fire with taking care of myself, that I'm not going to take just one of the medicines that the doctor told me, I'll take the whole bottle, or I'll cut the medicine in half, or I'll do things differently. So when I'm reluctant and hesitant then I've got to follow. But when I'm on fire, and when I'm driven, and when I'm self-motivated, now I'll, I'll come up with my own scheme, I'll come up with my own formula. When it comes to the divine formula for spirituality, we have to listen to השם Hashem. And this מדרש Midrash is particularly poignant and significant because in our very פרשה parsha, we have two individuals who fail to heed this warning. They get swept up. There are people who get swept up in spiritual inspiration that then the יצר הרע yeitzer hara takes over, that instead of remaining within the boundaries of appropriateness, of moderation, of what השם Hashem wants, they begin to introduce their own creativity and they break down those boundaries. And who are the individuals in our very פרשה parsha who do that? נדב ואביהוא Nadav v'Avihu. It's such a happy day, a joyful day, and they are among the distinguished officials of the מקדש Mikdash. They are serving the בית המקדש Beis Hamikdash together with their father, and they think, wow, we're also on fire. What a קומזיץ kumzits, what a פארברענגען farbrengen, what a טיש tisch, what an עילוי eila, what a שיעור כללי shiur klali, what a דרשה drasha, what a סיום siyum, whatever, whatever that moment was that made them on fire, they bring an אש זרה eish zara. They introduce their own creativity. השם Hashem says, whoa, I love that you're inspired, I love that you're motivated, I love the drive, I love the enthusiasm and passion, but that doesn't give you license to ignore or neglect or to break through the barriers or boundaries that I've placed to try to introduce your own religious creativity. I probably say this every year also, but this is a big challenge in our time. People have to understand that being spiritually on fire, there's room for individuality and spirituality within the framework of Torah and הלכה halacha that we have. But when the spirituality drives you to in fact neglect or violate the הלכה halacha, that's a counterfeit spirituality. It's a counterfeit spirituality. It's not what it's meant to be. It's not what it's meant to do. It's not what it's meant to be. It's not what it's meant to be. So it has to be genuine and it has to be real and it has to be within the boundaries and the prescription that השם Hashem gives for us and not outside of it. So we said that Moshe tells his brother, קרב אל המזבח krav el hamizbeach, נו nu, come close. And Rashi says why? Because Aaron was hesitating, he was reluctant, he recoiled, he went backwards. What made him go backwards? Because he saw the מזבח mizbeach. The מזבח mizbeach has the קרנות המזבח karnei hamizbeach, the horns, the corners of the מזבח mizbeach. The corners of the altar were ornate. They were like molding around the מזבח mizbeach. So the corners, if you're looking at it head on, it looks like an ox with horns. The two, it's called the קרן keren, the corners were the horns. And he starts, he's told, bring the עגל eigel. First, he's told, bring the calf. That itself is triggering. Then as he approaches, he sees in front of him the image of the calf. And he says to himself, whoa, I'm unworthy, I'm incapable. I need to stop. This isn't for me. And that's what the, the Rashi, the מדרש Midrash tells us. The Ramban explains on it. So אהרן הכהן Aharon HaKohen was hesitant, reluctant until Moshe says לכך נבחרת l'chach nivcharta. So we've quoted from the כתב סופר Ksav Sofer from others, what does the לכך נבחרת l'chach nivcharta means, your hesitance, your humility, the fact that you walk around with a self-awareness is exactly why you were chosen. The brazen, bold person who thinks they're so great, is so ego-driven, thinks they need to be the spotlight of everything, who when called doesn't need to be told come close, but they're running right into the spotlight, maybe they're the wrong person. But לכך נבחרת l'chach nivcharta. לכך נבחרת L'chach nivcharta doesn't mean, which is the simple understanding of Rashi. לכך נבחרת L'chach nivcharta simple understanding means you were born for this. This is what you're here for. השם Hashem created you to lead the עבודה avodah. You were born for this. But according to this additional layer of interpretation, it doesn't mean you were born for this, that this is your talent and skills, but לכך l'chach means because you're בוש ויָרֵא bosh v'yarei, because you're ashamed and you're hesitant, those qualities are exactly what leadership needs. Leadership needs people who carry a self-awareness. Leadership needs people who are capable of feeling shame. You know, we have leaders, I don't need to start naming them, you all know who they are. One of them, we should send a big thank you letter because the growth of our shul and the growth of the state of Florida is only because of his poor leadership in New York. But, two of them, more than two of them, but, the, the, you could describe today's leaders are shameless. They're shameless. They have no shame. They can kill old people in nursing homes and they can violate the boundaries of people around them, the women who report to them, and they have no shame. They publish books and look into a microphone, and I'm not picking on anyone because unfortunately there are many. It's, it's symptomatic. I'm not picking on them because I'm picking on them. I don't feel bad picking on them, but I'm not picking on them because I'm picking on them. It's an apolitical parsha class. I'm only mentioning it because again, we struggle where we have shameless leaders. Shameless. They feel no shame. They're driven by ego. They have no shame. They don't hesitate. They run to the spotlight. In fact, they push other people who deserve the credit out of the spotlight so they can turn the spotlight on themselves. But that's what this pshat is. אהרן Aharon, אהרן הכהן Aharon HaKohen, Moshe's older brother, לכך נבחרת l'chach nivcharta. He's born for this, and despite being born for this, he's reluctant because he has shame and he has self-awareness. And Moshe turns to him and he says, those aren't reasons that you shouldn't be the leader, לכך נבחרת l'chach nivcharta. That's exactly the reason that you should be. רב ירוחם ליוואוויץ Rav Yeruchem Levovitz, the משגיח Mashgiach of the מיר Mir, זצ\"ל zatzal, asks a question. He says, איך שייך אחרת eich shayach acheres? איך שייך אחרת? הלא בושה זו טבעי היא, מקורה בתורה ויראת השם וקדושה Eich shayach acheres, halo busha zo tif'ee hi, m'kora b'Torah v'yiras Hashem u'kdusha, ומידדה להשכירב לעבודת השם בלי פחד u'midida l'niskarev l'avodas Hashem b'li pachad. ונענה אין אפשר לקחת אומץ לגשת לעבודת השם לפני ולפנים V'na'eh ayn efshar l'kachas omets lageshes l'avodas Hashem lifnei u'lifnim. Rav Yeruchem is bothered by the opposite question. He says we're talking about the holiest place on earth, at the time, the משכן Mishkan, the precursor of the בית המקדש Beis Hamikdash, you're talking about serving, before him, Aaron as the כהן גדול Kohen Gadol, will have the greatest access, in the Holy of Holies, in the holiest place on earth, among the holiest utensils on earth, doing the holiest service on earth, in the holiest wardrobe on earth, who wouldn't hesitate? Who wouldn't demure? Who wouldn't feel that weight? Who wouldn't feel that responsibility, the holiness and sanctity and feel maybe I'm not right, maybe I'm ashamed, maybe you don't know I'm not perfect? So isn't it obvious he should feel that way? Why are we praising it? מיכאן אנו למדים שאכן כן יסוד היהודי בוש וחנון Mikan anu l'meideim she'achein kein y'sodo y'hudi bosh v'chanun, אך ברגע שבררו לו אדם על פי דעת חכמי התורה מאמר תפקידו המדויק בעולמו ach b'rega she'bareru lo adam al pi daas chachmei haTorah ma'amar tafkido ham'duyak b'olamo, נדרש ממנו לרכוש אזות דקדושה ועוז ומידה מרובה nidrash mimenu lirchosh azus d'kdusha v'oz u'mida m'ruba, ולהיות מוכן לכל עבודה v'lihiyos muchan l'chol avodah, ולא הגדול ביסור v'lo hagadol b'yissur. Says Rav Yeruchem, here's the conversation that was going on. You ready? It's a little bit the opposite of what we just said. This speaks to me a lot. Rav Yeruchem says, Aaron says, you know, maybe me, ask somebody else. You could find someone more qualified, you could find someone more pure, you could find somebody who didn't do a חטא העגל cheit ha'eigel to bring the עגל eigel on the מזבח mizbeach that looks like an עגל eigel. It doesn't have to be me, find someone else. And Moshe turns to him and says, what are you doing? Hashem put you in this position, and he gave you these talents and skills, and he called you. This is your calling. He invited you. לכך נבחרת L'chach nivcharta. This is not a time for humility. This is not a time to be reluctant or hesitate. When you have a calling, step up and answer that calling. I like to think that there's a difference between arrogance and self-confidence. Arrogance is when you think that you are responsible for your talents and skills. Arrogance is when you don't recognize that it's on loan from God and it could disappear any moment. Arrogance is when you take credit instead of recognizing that you are simply a conduit and a שליח shliach for השם Hashem. That's arrogance. Self-confidence is when you say, השם Hashem has given me certain talents and skills, and now I feel an awesome responsibility and weight to use them, to fulfill them, to make a difference with them, to perform my mission with them. That's a self-confidence. Self-confidence not because of my ego or arrogance, self-confidence that השם Hashem has lent me, he has endowed me, he has put me as the steward of these skills, and he has expectations. I have to meet them. So Rav Yeruchem understands this conversation as Moshe saying to Aaron, what are you doing? This is not a time for false humility. I've had debate with dear and precious colleagues of mine, from whom I've learned so much and are far greater תלמידי חכמים talmidei chachamim with far better מדות midos than me. But, you know, they give their דבר תורה dvar Torah, they give their שיעור shiur, they don't promote it necessarily widely, they don't stream it, they don't record it and post it online. And, you know, we'll have a healthy back and forth, with a healthy cynicism to it. You know, the fact that we stream and we promote and our Torah, ברוך השם Baruch Hashem, we're very honored and grateful it's out there. So I said to him, once you, who are you to get up ever and give a דרשה drasha? Why should you stand in front of the ציבור tzibur on a Shabbos morning and give a דרשה drasha? Why are your thoughts and your formulations and your insights and your observations and your inspiration, why should they be more authoritative than anyone else is sitting and listening? Whatever degree of confidence you have that you have something to share and it's worth listening to, and that you represent someone who's asked you to communicate it on his behalf, so once you're doing that, now you have a responsibility to share it as widely as you can. To whatever degree that you feel you should share it at all, you should share it as far and wide because it's not yours, it's from השם Hashem. So this is very meaningful to me, this insight of Rav Yeruchem, who continues, זהו כל סוד עבודת הקדשים zehu kol sod avodas hak'doshim, שהיה בעלי רוח she'haya ba'alei ruach, לקבל תפקידם הגדול ביסר l'kabel tafkidam hagadol b'yoser. Our greatest leaders throughout our entire תנ\"ך Tanach, maybe they hesitate, but they overcome that hesitation and they say, this is not a time or a place for humility. You could be humble within your mission. You could be humble within fulfilling or pursuing why you're here. But, in fact, to think that it's humility to say, let someone else speak, let somebody else lead, let somebody else have vision, let somebody else... That's not humility. That is to deny the רבונו של עולם Ribono shel Olam what he put you here on this earth for. מי באמת יכל לקחת על עצמו תפקיד הנורא כזה Mi b'emes yachol l'kachas al atzmo tafkid hanora k'zeh, לדון דין בניין כלל ישראל l'dun din binyan klal Yisrael? Who else could have taken it on their shoulders this responsibility, the עבודת הקדשים avodas hakdoshim, Moshe, Aaron, and so on and so forth. And this is why we say, the כלל גדול klal gadol in serving השם Hashem, in the טור Tur in אורח חיים סימן א Orach Chaim Siman Aleph, and this is how we finish, זהו סיום מסכת אבות zehu siyum Maseches Avos. יהודה בן תימא אומר, הוי עז כנמר Yehuda ben Teima omer, havei az kanamer. לכל עבודה לכל מצוה l'chol avodah l'chol mitzvah, החי קל לצורך לעשות עזות כנמר hachi kal l'tzorech l'asos azus kanamer. What does אז az mean? It means be strong. But אזות פנים azus panim means something more. What does אזות פנים azus panim? חצפה Chutzpah! You need a healthy dose of חצפה chutzpah. I'm sitting up here, I even have a camera and a microphone, I'm streaming, who am I and what am I? I'm a גורנישט gornisht. So what kind of חצפה chutzpah do you have? What kind of חצפה chutzpah do I have sitting up here thinking? So ברוך השם Baruch Hashem, I don't share any original thoughts, so it's easy. I have no חצפה chutzpah. I'm just collecting beautiful insights of other people and I share it with you, and they are worth listening to, which is why you listen. But who has the חצפה chutzpah? Avraham had a חצפה chutzpah to start a Jewish people. Moshe had the חצפה chutzpah to climb a mountain and come back down with the Torah. Aaron had a חצפה chutzpah to walk into a משכן Mishkan and lead an עבודה avodah. What's the answer? הוי עז כנמר Havei az kanamer, it's סימן א Siman Aleph of שלחן ערוך Shulchan Aruch. The טור Tur begins the code of Jewish law and it says, wake up, get out of bed, and have some holy חצפה chutzpah. Holy חצפה chutzpah. Not bad חצפה chutzpah. Eli Beer when he spoke here a few Shabboses ago, United Hatzalah and their incredible work, he talked about the origins of Hatzalah, how he couldn't break in to get the frequency to follow the crisis. He says, we engaged the greatest Israeli invention that there is. Of all the Israeli innovation, he said, I use the greatest Israeli innovation there is, it's called חצפה chutzpah. That's how שלחן ערוך Shulchan Aruch begins. Wake up, get out of bed, and dig deep and find your holy חצפה chutzpah. Not your rude, crude, obnoxious חצפה chutzpah, you could leave that in bed, but wake up and get out of bed with a holy חצפה chutzpah. הוי עז כנמר Havei az kanamer. What kind of חצפה chutzpah are you going to have today? What are you going to solve today? You're going to solve, you're going to build a bigger חלום chalom? ניחום אבלים nichum aveilim? You're going to raise a billion dollars for helping those escape Ukraine? What kind of חצפה chutzpah? Where where's your holy חצפה chutzpah going to come? You're going to have the חצפה chutzpah to try to finish ש\"ס Shas? You're going to have the חצפה chutzpah to do חסד chesed? Are you going to have the חצפה chutzpah? Where's your חצפה chutzpah going to come today? Rav Yeruchem says, that's what Moshe was telling Aaron. Aaron says, maybe someone else, it's really not me. I feel bad. I did a חטא העגל cheit ha'eigel. It looks like the עגל eigel. I'm sure you could find someone better. Moshe says, hey brother, what what are you doing? What is this conversation? Where's your חצפה chutzpah? This is why you were chosen. לכך נבחרת L'chach nivcharta. You're not, you're not being more virtuous by declining, you're being less virtuous, because השם Hashem put you here for this and he has this expectation of you. Now get to work. הוי עז כנמר Havei az kanamer. Wake up, get out of bed, show this holy חצפה chutzpah and get going and get going. And that's Rav Yeruchem. Rav Elazar Meir Bloch, has a different insight. פרק ט, פסוק ז Perek Tes, Pasuk Zayin, keep going. פרק ט, פסוק ז Perek Tes, Pasuk Zayin. He says the following, ועשה את קרבן העם וכפר בעדם כאשר צוה השם v'asei es korban ha'am v'chaper ba'adam ka'asher tziva Hashem, bring your חטאת chatas and bring your עולה olah and achieve atonement בעדך ba'ad'cha, for yourself and for everyone else. Why does it say first, וכפר בעדך chaper ba'ad'cha? הלא חטאת זו היתה על חטא העגל Halo chatas zo hayisa al cheit ha'eigel. What was the reason for this חטאת chatas? If you look at the מפרשים mefarshim, look at Rashi, you'll see that Rashi says the reason that Aaron inaugurated the משכן Mishkan with a קרבן חטאת korban chatas, a sin offering, was to achieve atonement for which sin? The חטא העגל cheit ha'eigel. The חטא העגל cheit ha'eigel. So, צרוך היה אהרן להביא לפני שיקריב את קרבן כל העדה tzaruch haya Aharon l'havi lifnei sheyikrev es korban kol ha'eida, והעמידו לפני השם v'ha'amido lifnei Hashem להקריב קרבן על העם l'hakriv korban al ha'am. He should have brought that first. He should have achieved his own atonement first. Says Rav Elazar Meir Bloch, the ראש ישיבת טעלז Rosh Yeshivas Telz, להתהווה באדם שכאשר בא להשפיע על העם l'hithavah ba'adam sheka'asher bo l'hashpia al ha'am, צריך בראשו ובראשונה להראות שהוא עצמו מנקה עצמו tzaruch b'rosho u'verishona l'haros she'hu atzmo menakeh atzmo, בכל אופן הניקוי b'chol ofen ha'nikui. Aaron really should have in preparation for that day, taken care of all of his private business. So Aaron should have said to Moshe, okay, look, you want me to do this? No problem. But I got to get כפרה kapara first for the עגל eigel. I got to work it out with God. I got to reconcile. I need a clean slate. If I'm going to get up and offer a קרבן חטאת korban chatas for everybody, then I have to first begin by doing it for myself. And the Torah says, no, you're going to do it in front of everybody. Because you're going to be a role model and you're going to be an example. And when you take responsibility and accountability, when you model exactly what you're going to preach, that will be the strongest, the loudest, the most effective communication that you have. And he points out that all our בעלי מוסר baalei mussar understood this when they would transmit their very מוסר mussar. The גדולי בעלי מוסר gedolei baalei mussar were very careful that they would never ever give מוסר mussar on something unless they were working or had worked on it first. רב יעקב ישראל וויינברג, השרידי אש Rav Yaakov Yisrael Weinberg, the Sridei Eish talks about one of the תלמידים talmidim of Rav Yisrael Salanter, Rav Naftali Amsterdam, he says לא היה מרבה למסור שיחות מוסר lo hayamarbeh l'imsor sichos mussar, כשמסרן היה תלמיד פותח בעיקבות עצמו תחילה ke'shemasam hayah talmid pasach b'ikvos atzmo techila. He didn't give a lot of מוסר שמועס'ס mussar shmuesses, but whenever he did, he would get up, בודק אם הוא עצמו אוחז במה שהוא הולך לדבר bodek im hu atzmo ochez b'mah shehu holech l'daber. He would first hold up a mirror to himself, and he'd say, I'm about to get up and lecture about patience or about anger or about greed or about stinginess or whatever topic he was going to get up and lecture about, he would first sit and examine himself and say, am I qualified? Am I genuine? Whatever I'm about to preach about, am I a vessel to preach about it? Or am I a hypocrite and I have no business talking about it? And I have no business talking about it. Similarly, Rav Eliyahu Lopian, he would always learn מוסר mussar before he gave מוסר mussar. What he did right before he gave the מוסר שמועס mussar shmuess was learn מוסר mussar to do a self-check, a self-awareness, a self-awareness. Because ועשה את חטאתך ואת עלתך v'asei es chatascha v'es olasecha, וכפר בעדך v'chaper ba'ad'cha. In front of the people, show them that you're practicing what you preach, and in that way, be the best role model that you can. פרק ט, פסוק י Perek Tes Pasuk Yud, moving right along, turning the page so early in the parsha class. 590, top of 590. ואת החלב ואת הכליות ואת היותרת מן הכבד מן החטאת הקטיר המזבחה V'es hachelev v'es haklayos v'es hayoseres min hakaveid min hachatas hiktir hamizbecha, כאשר צוה השם את משה ka'asher tziva Hashem es Moshe. I have the wrong pasuk. Sorry, sorry. ויאמר משה זה הדבר אשר צוה השם תעשו וירא אליכם כבוד השם Vayomer Moshe zeh hadavar asher tziva Hashem ta'asu v'yera aleichem k'vod Hashem. No, go back. Go back to פסוק ו Pasuk Vav. I'm sorry. I had the wrong pasuk. Back פסוק ו Pasuk Vav. Don't turn the page, you see, I spoke too soon. So Moshe said, זה הדבר zeh hadavar, this is the thing you should do, וירא אליכם כבוד השם v'yera aleichem k'vod Hashem. Says the אור החיים Or HaChaim, זה הדבר צוה השם שתעשו zeh hadavar tziva Hashem sheta'asu, אותו שתהיו תמיד מעריכים בדעתכם oso she'tihyu tamid mar'ichim b'da'atchem, כאילו אתם עומדים לפני השם k'atem omdim lifnei Hashem. ואז ירא אליכם כבוד השם V'az yera aleichem k'vod Hashem. כבוד השם *k'vod Hashem*. It's a beautiful אור החיים הקדוש *Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh* here. He says the following, Moshe says, זה הדבר אשר צוה השם *zeh hadavar asher tziva Hashem*, the thing that God commanded you, תעשו *ta'asu*, do. וירא אליכם כבוד השם *Vayeira aleichem k'vod Hashem*, and then God will appear to you. Then God will appear to you. So in other words, when you do what God wants, then you'll feel his presence. There are people who are neglecting and ignoring Hashem left and right, and they say, you know if he'd speak to me, if I felt his presence, if I saw him, if I was inspired, then I would observe. But you got it wrong. It's the wrong order. You have it backwards. If you start doing, then you will feel, and then you will see, and then you will hear, and then you will know. Don't wait to feel, oh I see God, I hear God, God is communicating to me, now I'm ready to invest in the relationship with him. Be all in in the relationship with him, and then you will start seeing him, and then you will start feeling his presence wherever you go, wherever you go. So the אור החיים הקדוש *Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh* says in this פסוק *pasuk* is the prescription. זה הדבר אשר צוה השם *Zeh hadavar asher tziva Hashem*. This is what God said. תעשו *Ta'asu*, do it, try it. The Lubavitcher Rebbe זצ\"ל *zatza\"l*, this was his insight. All of his campaigns for his army to go out and get people to start doing things. The idea was go light candles. You light candles Friday night. I don't have to start talking to you about is there evidence for God's existence? Is there God? Is there no God? שבת *Shabbos*, ל\"ט מלאכות *lamed tes melachos*, איסור סקילה *isur skilah*. I don't talk to you about any of that. All I need to get you to do is light candles. Because you know what's going to happen when you light candles? Then you're going to want to have a Friday night dinner with a little קידוש *kiddush* and bless your children. And once you're having Friday night dinner, you might as well not use any devices. He understood. Light candles, you'll want more. תפילין *Tefillin*. Put תפילין *tefillin* on every day. If you got your day every day started by putting on תפילין *tefillin*, it's going to transform and change your day. So his whole insight was start doing and then you'll start seeing. If you do, טעמו וראו כי טוב השם *ta'amu ur'u ki tov Hashem*. Taste and see, start doing and you'll see that Hashem is, that he's there. So that's what it says. This is what Hashem said. זה הדבר אשר צוה השם *Zeh hadavar asher tziva Hashem*. You know what God commanded you? תעשו *Ta'asu*. Go do. Go do. And when you do, you know what's going to happen? וירא אליכם כבוד השם *Vayeira aleichem k'vod Hashem*. God will appear to you. You'll start seeing him everywhere. Light the candles, put on the תפילין *tefillin*, open the ספר *sefer*, come to מנין *minyan*, start doing a little bit more, and when you do more, you will see him more all around you. Beautiful insight. פרק יוד פסוק גימל *Perek Yud, Pasuk Gimmel*.פרק יוד פסוק גימל *Perek Yud, Pasuk Gimmel*.ויקחו בני אהרן נדב ואביהוא איש מחתתו *Vayikchu v'nei Aharon Nadav v'Avihu ish machtato*. So we have this inauguration, Aaron brings these קרבנות *karbanos*, the great fire came down, it consumed everything. Wow, incredible, amazing, blown away. I did write that down. So פרק יוד פסוק גימל *Perek Yud, Pasuk Gimmel*. ותצא אש מלפני השם ותאכל אותם וימותו לפני השם *Vateitzei eish milifnei Hashem vatochal osam vayamusu lifnei Hashem*. Nadav and Avihu bring this foreign fire, and the fire comes down, consumes them, and they die. And they die. ויאמר משה אל אהרן *Vayomer Moshe el Aharon*, Moshe turns to Aaron. What do you say? You're the younger brother who has to console his older brother who had four sons and lost two of them on what should have been the happiest, most triumphant, most celebratory day of his life. Every year you read פרשת שמיני *Parshas Shmini*, if you're not moved, if you don't feel for Aaron, you don't feel. Aaron HaKohen, opening day. Aaron HaKohen, to a degree the older brother of Moshe who was in his shadow, who now is going to have the spotlight, he doesn't want it, but now he's going to have the spotlight. It should be the happiest day. It's a packed audience, and they're there for opening day at the משכן *Mishkan*. And this is going to be the place in which they can feel the divine presence and see 10 daily miracles. And Aaron's going to throw out the first pitch. And what happens? Instead of being the most joyous day, the greatest celebration, the happiest day of his life, tragically, two sons die. Unimaginable. Imagine somebody on the day they're making their child's wedding, the biggest שמחה *simcha*, the day of their wedding, and their parents die in a car crash on the way to the wedding. Children, something tragic happens and they're struck dead. How do you go on? How do you understand? How do you have faith and how do you believe? What should be the happiest day? And now Moshe has the unenviable job of turning to his brother, and he's supposed to communicate some message. He's supposed to get something across to him. What's he supposed to say to him? What's he supposed to say to him?So Moshe turns to him and he says, בקרבי אקדש ועל פני כל העם אכבד *Bikrovai ekadeish v'al pnei chol ha'am ekaveid*. Moshe turns to him and he says, in the name of Hashem, I will be sanctified through those that are nearest me and I will be honored therefore by the entire people. We've discussed in the past, we're not going to this year, how to decipher what's Moshe's message. What is Moshe's message? Moshe didn't just say some frivolous thing because it was awkward silence, so he filled the space with something. There was a message. How do you decipher it? בקרבי *Bikrovai*, with those closest to me, אקדש *ekadeish*. Nadav and Avihu were closest, then how did they do something so wrong that deserved a death penalty, a capital crime on the holiest day? God couldn't wait to kill them the next day? Finish the celebration. God couldn't wait a week or a month? It had to be on that day? So whatever they did was so egregious, it had to be on that day. And yet, בקרבי *bikrovai*, Moshe is describing them as they are, they're the greatest. They are the closest to him. How are they the closest to him? And how did they get sanctified? Where's the קידוש השם *kiddush Hashem* here? And for the entire people, ועל פני כל העם אכבד *v'al pnei kol ha'am ekaveid*. But whatever he says to Moshe to Aaron, you have to decipher what that is, what's Aaron's reaction? What's Aaron's response? וידם אהרן *Vayidom Aharon*. Aaron is silent. Now, this is the most haunting silence in the Torah. Because we don't know what's going through Aaron's head. Is the silence a rebellious silence? He has nothing to say to God. Is the silence an obedient silence that he's willing to accept and surrender to whatever Hashem has for him? Is this a silent silence or a protest silence? What is the nature of the silence? We will never know. We will never know. But it's a silence that speaks volumes. It's an incredible silence of וידם אהרן *vayidom Aharon*. וידם אהרן *Vayidom Aharon*. The ילקוט שמעוני *Yalkut Shimoni*, the מדרש *Midrash* says, שתק וקבל שכר על שתיקתו *shasak v'kibel schar al shtikaso*. He was quiet and he was rewarded for his quiet. Rav Volbe, the great משגיח *mashgiach*, Rav Volbe, he says, לא היתה זו רק העדר הדיבור, שתיקתו היתה עבודה כמו שדוד המלך אומר לך דומיה תהילה *lo hayta zu rak he'eder hadibur, shtikaso hayta avodah, k'mo she'David Hamelech omer, l'cha dumiya tehila*. Says Rav Volbe, you might think that silence is the absence of speech. You might think silence is because someone has nothing to say. So when is someone silent? When they're too tired to talk. The morning after Purim, there was a lot of silence. Who has it? You lose your voice, you're exhausted, you could barely breathe. So you're too quiet. So the silence is not a statement. The silence is a symbol of exhaustion. Says Rav Volbe, silence is sometimes because you have nothing to say, and sometimes, silence is a form of speaking. Sometimes someone says something with their silence. Sometimes you say it the loudest. That's the pasuk, תהלים ס\"ה *Tehillim Samech Hei*. That's the pasuk. לך דומיה תהילה *L'cha dumiya tehila*. What does that mean, לך דומיה תהילה *l'cha dumiya tehila*? Silence to you, דוד המלך פרק ס\"ה *David Hamelech Kapitel Samech Hei*. Silence to you is praise. Elsewhere he says, my soul waits in silence only for Hashem, from him comes my salvation. דומיה *Dumiya*, וידם *vayidom*, it's the same word. So Rav Volbe's, Rav Volbe's חידוש *chiddush* here is that it's not שקט *sheket*. שקט בבקשה *Sheket b'vakasha*, be quiet. I'm talking, שקט *sheket*. That's quiet. That means you stop speaking so I can speak. This wasn't, Aaron wasn't בשקט *b'sheket*, and he wasn't, as he says, שתק *shatak*. This is וידם *vayidom*. וידם *Vayidom* is different. Quiet is a quiet because someone else is speaking. Silence, וידם *vayidom*, is a form of speech. That's what David HaMelech says. Silence, לך דומיה תהילה *l'cha dumiya tehila*. Silence to you is praise. Silence is not what happens when we're catching our breath between speaking. Silence itself can be a form of crying out, of calling out. Silence is not just the absence of words. Sometimes more can be said with silence than can be ever be articulated with words. You ever talking to someone a difficult conversation? You ever have to apologize to someone for something you did wrong and they're quiet? And what do you say to them? Please, say something. Just say something. What are you thinking? Please, say something. Why do you want the other person to say something? Because they're speaking so loudly with their silence that it's piercing your heart. The Rambam quotes a reading of the Targum that translates וידם *vayidom* ושבח אהרן *u'shabach Aharon*, that Aaron praised Hashem. What do you mean he praised Hashem? He did nothing. It was passive. He was a spectator, he did nothing. How could that, how could silence be a form of praise of praising Hashem? So sometimes silence, silence, sometimes silence is a form of תפילה *tefillah*, is a form of prayer. You know when else silence speaks volumes? When you pay a שבעה *shiva* call, we learned from איוב *Iyov*. The הלכה *halacha* when you pay a שבעה *shiva* call is you're not allowed to speak until when? Until the אבל *avel* speaks first. The אבל *avel*, the mourner, has to initiate the conversation. If you walk into that שבעה *shiva* call and you sit and they say nothing, you could sit for 20 minutes, half an hour, 40 minutes, and just sit silently. And then what? You left the שבעה *shiva* call and you said nothing? You left the שבעה *shiva* call and you spoke the most because you were willing to sit silently. And the willingness to sit silently, that's not easy. We live with this notion of awkward silence. You can look in a restaurant, there's two tables. One couple's been married 50 years and the other is on their second date. The couple on their second date can't bear silence. So they each come in already with like a checklist of topics. Like if there's a moment, go to the next question. You all know the famous joke. Do you have a brother? Do you like לקשן *lokshen*? If you had a brother, would he like לקשן *lokshen*? You all know the famous joke. So everybody goes in with their famous, with their list of, why? Because the young couple who are courting, awkwardly sipping their diet coke on their שדך *shidduch* date, so they, the silence would kill them. They need to fill the air with conversation. But the couple who has been married, they talk when there's something to say, and when they're willing and able to simply be present and together without anything being said, that is the greatest statement of love. What an affirmation, what a loud statement of love and comfort that they can sit together without needing to talk. Isn't that incredible? Could simply be without needing to fill the air and the space with talk, with conversation. So the point is, don't think that all silences are created equal. There's a silence which is the space of catching your breath between speaking. There's a silence because it's not your turn to speak. And there's a silence which is a statement. And that's why the word here is וידם *vayidom*. לך דומיה תהילה *L'cha dumiya tehila*. Rav Volbe writes, the one from whom, who taught this insight, he writes, he says, you know, we teach a child to speak. A child speaks and everybody gets so excited. Everybody gets so excited. During Corona, when my children and grandson at the time and then grandchildren lived with us for a while, so I was really, I'm not competitive at all, but I was trying to get my son to say זיידע *zeide* to be his first word, for my grandson. So I would all day I would say to him, זיי דע *zei da*, זיי דע *zei da*. And when he finally started speaking, my name was דע *da*. So, everyone else around me got the last laugh. I wanted him to be the first word, זיי דע *zei da*, all day, זיי דע *zei da*, he says, דע *da*, דע *da*. Where's דע *da*? That's my name, דע *da*. So, Rav Volbe says, we get so excited, we teach a child, right? They could say a letter, they say their first word, they string together a sentence. It's incredible. We get so excited. We teach them to speak and we show them excitement when they start to speak. But do we ever teach them to stop speaking? Do we show them excitement by the skill of being silent? Do we teach them, okay, good, now that you learned how to speak, now let me teach you how to be silent. Now let me teach you the value of silence. Now let me teach you that silence is also an expression and silence is also a tool and silence is also a form of communication. Shlomo HaMelech says, עת לדבר ועת לחשות *eit l'daber v'eit lachashos*. There's a time to speak and there's a time to be quiet, there's a time to be quiet. I'll tell you know one of my favorite ספרים *sfarim*, I quote it often, Rav Menachem Ben Tzion Zachs, Menachem Tzion. He's מנחם ציון *Menachem Tzion* on פרשה *parsha*, he's מנחם ציון *Menachem Tzion* פרקי אבות *Pirkei Avos*, מנחם ציון *Menachem Tzion* ירחי למועדים *Yarchei L'moadim*. So he has in the משנה *mishna* in פרקי אבות *Pirkei Avos*, סייג לחכמה שתיקה *siyag l'chochmah shtikah*. סייג לחכמה *Siyag l'chochmah*. You want to be wise? Don't just learn how to speak. You never learn when you're speaking. You could teach a lot when you're speaking, but you're not learning anything while you're speaking. When do you learn? When you're silent, when you're quiet. So he writes the following, listen to this. The author of מנחם ציון *Menachem Tzion* Zachs was the son-in-law of Rav Tzvi Pesach Frank, the chief rabbi of ירושלים *Yerushalayim*. He grew up in the old ישוב *yishuv* of ירושלים *Yerushalayim* and then he became a great rav in Chicago. So, Hanna Sacks, the schools in Chicago are named, Rav Menachem Ben Tzion Zachs. בימי ילדותי היה בירושלים יהודי שהיה מכונה ר' דוד שותק *B'yamei yaldusi haya b'Yerushalayim Yehudi she'haya mechuneh Reb Dovid Shosek*. He says when I was a child, there was a Jew who lived in ירושלים *Yerushalayim* and his nickname was ר' דוד *Reb Dovid* the quiet one. שהיה מיוחד במידה זו של שתיקה *she'haya meyuchad b'midah zo shel shtikah*. He excelled, he was extraordinary in his ability to be quiet. קשה מאוד היה להניע את שפתותיו שהיו כאבני הרחיים *Kashe me'od haya le'hania es sifsosav she'hayu k'avnei harechayim*. He was so still, it was very hard to get his lips to move. He rarely ever spoke. פעם שאלוהו ר' דוד, איך יש לך כח לשתוק כל כך *Pa'am sha'aluhu Reb Dovid, eich yesh l'cha koach lishtok kol kach*? So they once asked him, ר' דוד *Reb Dovid*, where do you have the inner strength? Where do you have the inner fortitude? Everybody wants to speak. They want to react, they want to share, they want to teach, they want to weigh in. They want to opine. Where do you have the inner strength and the inner fortitude to stay quiet all the time? ברם הוא השיב להם *B'ram hu heshiv lahem*, he answered, אכן קשה עלי הדבר, כאשר אני מתעייף משתיקה, אני נח מעט וחוזר לשתיקתי *Achein kasheh alai hadavar, ka'asher ani mit'ayef mishtikah, ani noach me'at v'chozer l'shtikasi*. He said, the truth is, you're right. Sometimes when I'm tired from being quiet, I talk a little in order to get back my energy and strength, and then I go back to being quiet. It's a great answer, right? He says, חותני הגאון רבי צבי פסח פרנק נודע אף הוא במידה זו של שתיקה, והיה יחיד ומיוחד בזה *Chosni ha'gaon Reb Tzvi Pesach Frank noda af hu b'midah zo shel shtikah, v'haya yachid u'meyuchad b'zeh*. He says my שווער *shver*, Rav Tzvi Pesach Frank, the chief rabbi of ירושלים *Yerushalayim*, Har Tzvi, also excelled at this. He excelled at the capacity to be quiet, to live with silence. You know, you have a committee, or you have a group of people in a room, or you have a Shabbos table. Usually the smartest or wisest person in the room speaks the least. You have to go, what do you think about this? You have to invite them and pull out of them to weigh in. The smartest person doesn't need to impose their thoughts on everybody else and monopolize the conversation and speak a lot. סייג לחכמה שתיקה *Siyag l'chochmah shtikah*. גם בתקופת סערות בתוך הישוב הקודש היה קשה מאוד לשמוע שתיקה, היה בולם פיו ונותן לשונו *Gam b'tkufas se'aros b'soch ha'yishuv ha'kodesh, haya kashe me'od lishmoa shtikah, haya bolem piv v'nosen l'shono*. מה שנאמר בתורה אחר מיתת שני בני אהרן וידם אהרן *mah she'ne'emar b'Torah achar misas shnei b'nei Aharon, vayidom Aharon*. פירש רש\"י נטל שכר על שתיקתו *Peirush Rashi, natal schar al shtikaso*. He says, חז\"ל הגאון פירש כעמילא וידם מאי דע *Chazal ha'gaon peirush k'amila vayidom, mai da'* כי היה לו מה לדבר *ki haya lo mah l'daber*. So Rav Tzvi Pesach Frank had the following insight. The word וידם *vayidom* teaches, why doesn't it say he was he was שקט *sheket*? He was בשתיקה *b'shtikah*. We have other words for quiet, silent. Why don't we use one of those other words? Why do we use the word וידם *vayidom*? So Rav Menachem Ben Tzion Zachs quotes his שווער *shver*, Rav Tzvi Pesach Frank, who says from the word וידם *vayidom* we see that Aaron had something to say, but he chose not to say it. הוא כבש דבריו ולא דיבר *Hu kavash d'varav v'lo diber*. He conquered himself. He held back. You know, not everything you say, not everything you think you have to say. ועל זה נטל שכר, שהיה לו מה לומר וכל זאת לא אמר *V'al zeh natal schar, she'haya lo mah lomar v'chol zos lo amar*. You know, when there are no words, when there are no words and when there's nothing to say, you don't deserve to be rewarded for being quiet. There are no words and there's nothing to say, so big deal that you were quiet. But when you have something to say and you still hold back and don't say it, that's what deserves a reward because that is even more impressive. פרק יוד פסוק כף *Perek Yud, Pasuk Chaf*. Moving right along. Page 596. 596. שתיקה *Shtikah*.פסוק *Pasuk* says, פרק יוד פסוק כף *Perek Yud, Pasuk Chaf*. וישמע משה וייטב בעיניו *Vayishma Moshe vayitav b'einav*. Go back a pasuk. וידבר אהרן אל משה הן היום הקריבו את חטאתם ועולתם לפני השם *Vayedaber Aharon el Moshe, hein hayom hikrivu es chatasam v'osam lifnei Hashem*. Today you brought the sin offering and the elevation offering. Now that such things befell me, were I to eat this day's sin offering, would Hashem approve? וישמע משה וייטב בעיניו *Vayishma Moshe vayitav b'einav*. What's going on over here? It's a fascinating section. There's a debate between Moshe and Aaron about a הלכה *halacha*. There's a debate between Moshe and Aaron. Aaron is at the status of an אונן *onen*. An אונן *onen* is somebody in between death and burial who's not only exempt from mitzvos, they are forbidden from doing mitzvos. מחלוקת רש\"י תוספות *Machlokes Rashi Tosfos*, exactly why, the beginning of the, second perek Moed Katan, third perek Moed Katan, but ultimately, Hashem says, I took someone so precious and irreplaceable from you, I don't expect you to feel closer to love me right now. You focus on their burial, you focus on grieving and mourning, you focus on honoring them. And today the הלכה *halacha* is that. An אונן *onen* is exempt from mitzvos. An אונן *onen* is more than exempt, an אונן *onen* is forbidden from doing mitzvos. It's a very difficult thing. A person who spent their whole life making ברכות *brachos* and davening to put food in your mouth without making a ברכה *bracha*, to finish eating and not bench, to start your day and not put on tefillin or say שחרית *Shacharis*, to be an אונן *onen*, it's enormous. So people always ask, can, I tell them you're exempt, you're not allowed. So but can I volunteer? The answer is no. You're forbidden from doing mitzvos as an אונן *onen*. So the question was, how far this prohibition of being an אונן *onen* stretched? Because here, an אונן *onen* is not allowed to eat קרבנות *karbanos*, but Hashem tells Aaron and his children, his surviving children, that you are the exception to that rule, and even though an אונן *onen* is not meant to partake of sacrifices, you are an exception. So how far does the exception to the rule stretch? That was a debate between Moshe and Aaron without getting into the details of it. And ultimately, who's right? Aaron. And how does Moshe react to his older brother being right? וישמע משה וייטב בעיניו *Vayishma Moshe vayitav b'einav*. Moshe heard and it was good in his eyes. He approved. Says Rashi, what does it mean he heard and he approved? הודה ולא בוש לומר לא שמעתי *Hoda v'lo bosh lomar lo shamati*. He says, he admitted and he wasn't embarrassed to say, לא שמעתי *lo shamati*, that I didn't hear. He wasn't embarrassed to say, I didn't hear. What's going on over here? What's going on over here? So I'll share with you an incredible insight from Rav Leiv Chassman and Rav Yechezkel Levenstein in אור יחזקאל *Ohr Yechezkel*. He says the following, Moshe was angry at his brother and his sons that they weren't eating the בשר חטאת *basar chatas* of the שעיר של ראש חודש *se'ir shel Rosh Chodesh*. Because even though they were onanim, Moshe felt that there was an exemption. Aaron answered and he said, the exemption only goes this far, it doesn't include this. They had a whole debate about it. And then Moshe ultimately says, אכן כך נאמר לו *achein kach ne'emar lo*, ומיד הודה ולא בוש *u'miyad hoda v'lo bosh*. Says, you know, Taki, you're right. I forgot. I did know, I was taught by Hashem the proper הלכה *halacha*. I was arguing and advocating for the wrong thing. I admit, I concede, you are right, and I did know. So צריך להבין, מה החידוש בזה שהודה על האמת *tzarich l'havin, mah ha'chiddush b'zeh she'hoda al ha'emes*. The Torah here praises, וישמע משה וייטב בעיניו *vayishma Moshe vayitav b'einav*, and Rashi says, wow, Moshe's amazing. He admitted, he conceded, he wasn't embarrassed, and he said, you are right and I'm wrong, and you're right, I even knew it and I remembered and I forgot. So, Rav Yechezkel Levenstein and Rav Leiv Chassman, they wonder, ay, Moshe is the greatest human being who ever lived. Moshe is רבנו *Rabbeinu*. So, okay, so he admitted he was wrong. What else would you expect him to do? Moshe is not some impetuous child who's going to stubbornly maintain his position even after he knows he's wrong. There are people who never want to admit they're wrong. There are people who never ever want to admit they're wrong. So they just start to change the whole circumstance or they replay and they reinvent the way things happened or what happened because they never want to admit they're wrong. But Moshe is a great human being, the greatest human being who ever lived. So what's the חידוש *chiddush* that Moshe admitted he was wrong and didn't stubbornly continue to maintain the wrong position? What's so special about that? Is it a חידוש *chiddush* that he's מודה על האמת *modeh al ha'emes*? So Rav Leiv Chassman and Rav Yechezkel Levenstein, they say, אין ערוך ותכלית לתוספות מעלה רוחנית בחיי האדם *ein aroch v'tachlis l'tosefes ma'alah ruchanis b'chayei ha'adam*. אף אילו משה רבנו במדרגתו הגבוהה והנסגבה, מכיוון שהגיע לעוד מדרגה מעלה, משבחתו התורה *af ilu Moshe Rabbeinu b'madregaso ha'g'voha v'hanisgavah, mikeivan she'higia l'od madregah ma'alah, mishabechaso haTorah*. Why didn't Moshe go into Israel? You'll see where I'm going with this in a second. Why didn't Moshe go into Israel? He hit the rock instead of speaking to it. Was that a big deal? What's the answer? For me and you, it wouldn't be a big deal. When you're Moshe Rabbeinu, when you're at that level that you can be so exacting in all that you do, you're held to a higher standard. And therefore, Moshe is held accountable כחוט השערה *k'chut hasa'arah*, even for something so seemingly insignificant because of how great he is, he's held to a high standard. So say Rav Chassman and Rav Yechezkel Levenstein, if you're going to hold Moshe to such a high standard for a little thing to criticize, then even for what seems to be a little thing, you have to praise. The fact that Moshe was מודה על האמת *modeh al ha'emes*, he deserves the praise, even though it seems like a small thing, he deserves that praise because he's מודה על האמת *modeh al ha'emes*. I'll tell you a different pshat. My pshat is, the reason he deserves the praise, this is, it's not my pshat. Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz says this, in שיחות מוסר *Sichos Mussar*. He says, הודה ולא בוש לומר לא שמעתי אלא שמעתי ושכחתי *hoda v'lo bosh lomar lo shamati, ela shamati v'shachachti*. He didn't say, well you're right and I'm wrong, but how could I have known I was never taught? He admitted not only I'm wrong, but he even admitted within I'm wrong and I knew and I forgot. I'm human and I forgot. So, מרגלא בפומיה של הגאון רבי חיים שמואלביץ *margala b'fumei shel ha'gaon Reb Chaim Shmuelevitz*, Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz used to always say, לימוד יסודי נלמד מכאן, שהרי בשעה שאמר משה שמעתי ושכחתי, משתמע לכאורה ערעור על מסורת התורה שניתנה על ידו לישראל *limud yesodi nilmad mikan, she'harei b'sha'ah she'amar Moshe shamati v'shachachti, mishtamea l'chora irur al masores haTorah shenitna al yado l'Yisrael*. You know, Moshe Rabbeinu is taking a tremendous risk by saying I knew and I forgot. What was the risk he was taking? We would all learn this, וישמע משה וייטב בעיניו *vayishma Moshe vayitav b'einav*, and you know what we might say? Moshe got that wrong, what else did he get wrong? Maybe we undermine the authenticity of the whole transmission of Torah. Because when we study and we recognize Moshe says I got that wrong, we think to ourselves, well he got that wrong, what else did he get wrong? Maybe I'm not bound by Torah. Maybe he made this all up. Maybe it all got distorted. Maybe Moshe Rabbeinu got it all wrong. So Moshe Rabbeinu took that into the חשבון *cheshbon* and he still admitted it. You know why? He had such a fidelity and loyalty to truth. He was an איש אמת *ish emes*, משה אמת ותורתו אמת *Moshe emes v'Toraso emes*. So even though, here's the חידוש *chiddush*. Moshe could have indulged the יצר הרע *yetzer hara* to not be מודה על האמת *modeh al ha'emes* for a noble reason. Moshe could have said, look, I'm wrong here, and and I should admit that I knew and I forgot, but if I do that, I risk compromising the whole transmission of Torah. So really for Hashem's sake, I'm not going to admit I'm wrong. Or really for the Torah's sake, I'll admit I'm wrong, but I'm going to say I never knew it. Moshe had a יצר הרע *yetzer hara*, a legitimate יצר הרע *yetzer hara*. He could have had a noble יצר הרע *yetzer hara* that would have easily rationalized and justified his not admitting that he knew and forgot. And yet despite that and with that, says Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz, he's מודה על האמת *modeh al ha'emes*. We hope and we aspire to reach that level. In fact, we daven for it every day. When do we daven for it every day? Every morning. מודה על האמת *Modeh al ha'emes*. In, in ברכת השחר *Birchos HaShachar*. The אלוהי נשמה *Elokai Neshama*. ויהי רצון מלפניך השם אלוהי ואלוהי אבותי שתצילני היום ובכל יום ויום מעזי פנים ומעזות פנים, תן חלקנו בתורתך ומודה על האמת *...v'modeh al ha'emes*. May we be capable about being מודה על האמת *modeh al ha'emes*. Because a person who lives life and they can't admit the truth, they always have to be right, they always manipulate and distort everything to fit into their view, to defend themselves, to rationalize and justify, such a person is living a total counterfeit life, a life of lies. So we daven every morning, may we have the inner strength, may we have the strength of character like Moshe Rabbeinu to be מודה על האמת *modeh al ha'emes*. And that's my answer is that, you know why the Torah praises Moshe for something that should be so obvious for him? Because there's such a יצר הרע *yetzer hara* to not do this that even Moshe Rabbeinu deserves that praise. Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz says, he had a noble reason to justify not being מודה על האמת *modeh al ha'emes*, and yet he was. The ability, are our marriages not made up of the ability to admit you're wrong? I'm not going to make a joke right now. I'm tempted. I'm tempted, but I'm not going to. Marriage, healthy marriage is the capacity to admit you're wrong. I would say the best parents can inspire their children the most when they could say to their child, I was wrong. Let me model for you saying I'm sorry. Let me model for you admitting I was wrong about something. Let me model for you how I handle when I didn't do something to the best of my ability, when I wasn't my best self. So, all relationships and the pursuit of becoming our best selves are predicated on this quality of being מודה על האמת *modeh al ha'emes*. It's why we daven for it every morning, and it's why Moshe Rabbeinu deserves praise even for something that seemingly should be obvious for, for him, for a, for a Moshe Rabbeinu. For a Moshe Rabbeinu. The Targum Yonasan. The Targum Yonasan translates these words, וישמע משה וייטב בעיניו *vayishma Moshe vayitav b'einav*. The Targum Yonasan says, ואפיק כרוזא במשרייתא מן מימר *v'apeik kruza b'mashreisa min meimar*. אנו דנסב עלמא הלכה מני ואהרן אחי אדכר יתי לי *Anu d'nasav alma halacha mini, v'Aharon achi edkar yasi lei*. It's an unbelievable Targum. The Targum Yonasan says, וישמע משה וייטב בעיניו *Vayishma Moshe vayitav b'einav*. Moshe heard and it was good in his eyes. So what, they had a private conversation? They were in Moshe's study. The door hermetically sealed. No camera, no microphone, no one heard. And in that context, in the privacy of just the two of them, Moshe said, I was wrong and you're right, I admit. Targum Yonasan says, no, you know what happened? Moshe goes and he grabs the microphone, the loudspeaker that are going into all the tents throughout the entire camp to the three million people. אפיק כרוזא *Apeik kruza*. A כרוז *kruz* is an announcement. He sent out a mass email, a Constant Contact email. And you know what it said? The Constant Contact email said, אנא הוא שנסתלקה הלכה ממני *ana hu she'nistalka halacha mimeni*. Hi everyone, I'm the one who forgot the halacha, ואהרן אחי אדכר יתי לי *v'Aharon achi edkar yasi lei*, but my brother Aaron, he's so, he reminded me. Okay, there was a private conversation when Moshe told Aaron that you should eat this korban, and Aaron said, you're wrong, you forgot the halacha my brother. I'm so sorry, you're wrong. And Moshe says, you're right, I did forget. Why do you have to send out an email? Why did you have to broadcast a phone tree? Why did you have to take out a TV ad to tell the whole camp, to tell the whole Klal Yisrael, I was wrong? So Rav Nosson Meir Wachtfogel, the Mashgiach of Lakewood, he says, משה רצה להראות לכלל ישראל גודל מידת האמת *Moshe ratza l'har'os l'Klal Yisrael godel midas ha'emes*. אף אילו גדול כמוהו יכול לטעות *Af ilu gadol k'mohu yachol lit'os*. He was demonstrating the ability. We talked about leadership before. Can you imagine the leader who looks in the microphone and said, you know, I was wrong. Maybe I did the best with the information I had at the time, but it was the wrong decision. And I take responsibility and accountability for the consequences. I was wrong. Who was a leader who showed that ability? David HaMelech. Shaul didn't. Shaul failed. We recently just read that. Parshas Zachor, the Haftorah. Shaul says I made no mistake, I was right. He refused to admit he was wrong, and he lost his monarchy. David HaMelech says, I was wrong. חטאתי להשם *Chatasi l'Hashem* with Batsheva. Why did David HaMelech even earn the monarchy to begin with? Where does he descend from? From Yehuda. What did Yehuda say? צדקה ממני *Tzadka mimeni*. Yehuda has this conflict with Tamar. Tamar says, look, I'm not going to embarrass anyone in public. I'm just going to say, whoever's wallet and pen this is and keys is, this is the father of my baby. I'm not saying who it is. They know who they are. You want to put me, burn me in the fire alive? I'll give, give me the punishment because I'm not going to embarrass anybody, but that's the, that's them's the facts. And what does Yehuda say in that moment? He could have said burn her at the stake. Nobody will ever know. What does he say? צדקה ממני *Tzadka mimeni*. And God says, wow. The ability to publicly say I'm wrong? Guess what? Your children and grandchildren and progeny that follow, you'll be the leaders, because that's what leadership needs. Leadership needs to have the capacity for shame, not shamelessness. Leadership has to have the ability to say I was wrong and I'm sorry, not I'm always right and I'm infallible and never wrong. And that's what our Tanach is filled of, of holy leaders and individuals who demonstrate. And here is yet one more example. This is, everyone knows the David and, everyone knows Yehuda and Tamar and David. This is not one of the well-known ones. People don't talk about this one. But Moshe Rabbeinu is saying, not only, he says, Aaron, you're right and I'm wrong, but I'm not just going to tell it to you privately here in the office. I'm sending out a telegram to the whole Jewish people because I want to model for them what it looks like, the ability to say I'm wrong. I want to show them that it doesn't make me less great, it makes me greater. It doesn't diminish, it enhances. It enhances and it uplifts. Okay, let's move over to some כשרות kashrus. Finish up with some, ooh, oh my goodness. We have to have the שול shul like a casino, no clock. You have no idea what time it is. You have no idea what we're up to.One more piece. כשרות Kashrus. Okay, the end of the פרשה parsha has beautiful laws of כשרות kashrus. I'll tell you one, one ווארט vort on כשרות kashrus. So much to talk about. Why is כשרות kashrus a חוק chok, is there a reason? Why does כשרות kashrus have to do with והתקדשתם והייתם קדושים v'hiskadishtem v'hiyisem k'doshim? How is it we become holy through כשרות kashrus? Does כשרות kashrus necessarily make us holy, and how does it make us holy, and in what way makes us holy? There is a lot to talk about with this. But I'll just tell you the תנא דבי אליהו Tanna d'vei Eliyahu, the גמרא Gemara in יומא Yoma, sorry, not תנא דבי אליהו Tanna d'vei Eliyahu, the גמרא Gemara in יומא Yoma דף לט daf lamed tes quotes, תנא דבי שמואל Tanna d'vei Shmuel, עבירה מטמטמת ליבו של אדם aveira m'tamtemes libo shel adam. When we do an עבירה aveira, when we make a mistake, when we cross a line, we violate the word and will of השם Hashem, it's מטמטם את הלב m'tamtem es halev.It compromises and contaminates the heart. שנאמר Shenemar, אל תשקצו al teshaktsu, פסוק pasuk in our פרשה parsha. פרק יא פסוק מג Perek yud alef pasuk mem gimmel. אל תשקצו Al teshaktsu. אל תקרי ונטמאתם אלא ונטמטם Al tikrei v'nitmeitem ela v'nitamtam. Don't read it ונטמאתם v'nitmeitem, you become impure, read it ונטמטם v'nitamtam, you become contaminated. What does that mean? So the רמב״ן Ramban famously here talks about that כשרות kashrus, when you consume non-kosher, it's מטמטם את הלב m'tamtem es halev. What does it mean eating non-kosher is מטמטם את הלב m'tamtem es halev? That's why we have to be strict and careful that even children who are not yet warned or cautioned to follow the rules of תורה Torah are never exposed or consume non-kosher. אי Ay, they didn't do some עבירה aveira by eating non-kosher. They don't even have consciousness, they're not making willful choices, they're not בני דעת bnei daas. So how could it be that we have to protect a child from eating non-kosher? The answer is, the answer is, if you have a little baby who's allergic to peanuts and you feed them a peanut, does the peanut or the allergic reaction care? Peanuts don't care about your feelings, to put it differently. They don't care whether you did it on purpose, whether you're aware of it, whether you're conscious of it. There's an automatic scientific reaction. If you're allergic to peanuts and you ate peanuts, you will have an allergic reaction to peanuts whether you did it consciously, willfully, intentionally or not. And the רמב״ן Ramban says that kosher and non-kosher have that same, have that same impact, have that same effect on us. הרב אליהו לופיאן Rav Eliyahu Lopian, there's a huge יסוד yesod here. אין זה רק ענין שכלי ועונש שהאדם עבר, אלא גם זה דבר טבעי ממש Ein zeh rak inyan s'chuli v'onesh she'ha'adam avar, ela gam zeh davar tiv'i mamash. He says this is not a metaphysical description or a metaphysical reality, this is a physical reality. If we consume something spiritually impure, we become physically impure. It has an impact on us. Put differently, we talk about, you are what you eat. You are what you eat spiritually. In fact, that's how the רמב״ן Ramban understands. Which birds are non-kosher birds? Fowl of prey that eat their prey. They're cruel. They are, they're cruel birds that claw and rip apart and murder. Carnivorous. Because if we, we are what we eat. If we consume them, we also consume their personality and their attitude. And that's why it's so careful, so important to be careful with what we eat.That's why, ותאמר אחותו אל בת פרעה אכילה בכרסו לאיש שאינו נקבה מן העבריות v'tomar achosa bas Paroh, achila b'kreisa l'ish she'eino nekeiv min ha'ivriyos. רש״י Rashi, מה נשתנה בעבריות ma nishtana b'ivriyos? Why did Moshe have to specifically nurse from a Jewish woman? שהחזירוהו למשה על כל מצריות כולן ולא ינק She'hechziruhu l'Moshe al kol Mitzriyos kulam v'lo yanak. They passed Moshe in front of all of the Egyptian, what are they called? Nurse maids, wet nurses. And Moshe refused to drink from any of them. אמר פה שעתיד לדבר עם השכינה ינק דבר טמא Amar peh she'asid l'daber im ha'Shechinah yinak davar tamei? A mouth that's going to speak to God is going to, is going to absorb, is going to eat, is going to nurse from something, someone impure. So משה רבינו Moshe Rabbeinu they had to find, they had to find someone for, for משה רבינו Moshe Rabbeinu. You see. So I share this with you only because I got a כשרות kashrus question the other day. Somebody emailed me a כשרות kashrus question. They had made a product on their פרווה pareve frying pan that after they looked at it, said OK D. So they said, I'm sure it's just dairy equipment, right? It's not really dairy. It didn't turn my פרווה pareve, my פרווה pareve cooking utensil dairy, right? I said, I don't know, you got to contact the OK and find out if there are in fact dairy ingredients. So the person, the OK got back and said there are dairy ingredients inside. Sorry, there are not necessarily dairy ingredients, but the product is fried in dairy oil. So as far as the USDA or whatever agency is concerned, the oil is filtered so it doesn't have actual particles of dairy, but in כשרות kashrus, something fried in oil gives it that status and it might have it. So I said, well now you need to know what, did they do שישים shishim? And the person was like, well, I'm sure there is. So I said to him the following. I said, if you were allergic to dairy and the dairy could kill you, would you be satisfied with, I'm sure there is, or would you investigate further? That's a simple question. If you would risk your life with the I'm sure there is, then go for it. Assume there's שישים shishim. But if you'd investigate further if your life were on the line, then you should investigate further because your spiritual life is on the line. And that's the way that we're meant to see כשרות kashrus. We can't be flexible, and we shouldn't be liberal, shouldn't be lax. But a person has to have the attitude that if we absorb, if we imbibe, if we eat non-kosher, it's מטמטם את הלב m'tamtem es halev. It is a spiritual poison with spiritual ramifications that spiritually compromises and corrupts and spiritually kills us, spiritually takes time off our life. And that's the attitude and the vigilance we should have to have to כשרות kashrus. There was a lot more. I saved, there was a couple אש תמיד Eish Tamid from last year that I didn't get to that I saved for this year. And I really wanted to save it because he needs a רפואה שלמה refuah shleima. הרב דרוק Rav Druck. Then רב חיים Rav Chaim, I wanted to speak about רב חיים Rav Chaim. רב חיים זכר צדיק וקדוש לברכה Rav Chaim zecher tzadik v'kadosh l'vracha was נפטר niftar. הרב דרוק Rav Druck was his תלמיד מובהק talmid muvhak, his חברותא chavrusa for many years. And הרב דרוק Rav Druck had a heart attack after רב חיים Rav Chaim was נפטר niftar. So he was just in the hospital, I don't know if he's out yet. He had to have a procedure. So I wanted to learn from אש תמיד Eish Tamid, should have a רפואה שלמה refuah shleima. רב חיים's נשמה neshama should have an עליה aliyah. אם ירצה השם Im yirtzeh Hashem.
