Parshas Chukas: The Golden Key to Self-Control and Spiritual Awakening

0:00 And here we go Now. Welcome in, ladies and gentlemen, to the Motivation Congregation Studios. Welcome in to the Thursday Yom Shishi Weekly Parsha Podcast. I know we're feeling good here. It's an off Shabbos. We have a three-day break in the middle of the summer semester to rejuvenate, to recuperate and to prepare ourselves for that final sprint of one month left when we come back until the end of the summer semester, which will give us then a month off to prepare ourselves for that rejuvenation.

0:42 When Elul comes and the shofar is blasted and we get out our musr, so for him, we begin to dive deep into ourselves and push ourselves to come closer to Hashem. But before all that, let's not get ahead of ourselves. We have now an off Shabbos. I brought the microphone home Sitting here while it is bedtime and the room over my daughter is cozying up and going to sleep. Perhaps you'll hear her in the background. They'll have to add some extra noise cancellation and up the noise gate in this episode, but either way, we're home, we got the plastic table out, travel microphone plugged in and I have prepared for you today.

1:34 Hardly any idea. That is synonymous with an off-Shabbos idea. In fact, this is maybe what we'll call it a smack dead in the winter's mon high end, hit the ground running, hopefully, as you'll see, powerful idea that to steal the words right out of Ramchal's pen, it is easy. This idea and the aforementioned idea, if thought upon with a clear head, is the most powerful force in one's quest for self-control and overcoming the Yetzirah temptation.

2:23 There isn't any time to spare. Well, really, because on Shabbos, thursday night, the tradition is that I take my family out to eat. We look forward to it Thursday night. So there's no time to spare because we have a 7 o'clock reservation and we still need to upload the podcast. But there's no time to spare because the words of Ramchal are incredible. But before we get to Ramchal, I need to point your ears towards this week's Parsha, parsha's Chukas and a quick summary of the Parsha. We basically lose all of our good people. Well, not all of our good people, but three of the most holy people of this generation. Moshe he's going to get somewhat of a death sentence when he hits the rock, as opposed to speaking to the rock in one of the most hard to comprehend, unfathomable sins ever committed.

3:13 It doesn't even seem like from the Pesukim that Moshe even did anything wrong. But that's not today's topic. We also lost this past week the great Miriam and the awkward situation that nobody showed up to her, la Via. It's a perplexing topic, but that's not today's topic. And if that's not enough, if that's not a sad, somber, melancholic enough Parsha, we also have the great Aaron Akoin, who was led up the mountain and placed upon a bed inside of a cave whose eyes were closed and his soul was taken from him.

3:53 That Moshe Rabbeinu returned down the mountain only with Aaron Akoin's son, who has now taken on the clothes and also the mantle, has been transferred of the priesthood, the high priesthood, from Aaron, who has now deceased, to his son, elazar. The Jewish people can't believe it that they've lost their great moral role model Without any dry eyes at the funeral, without any dry eyes for those that are emotionally involved in the Parsha, we turn towards the very end of the Parsha, which is our discussion.

4:36 That will lead us to the ultimate key that the Ramchal tells us. The beginning of a Sefer is the key to success and self-control and fighting the Yitzhak. And before we get to that idea, you just need to have some background and, if you like, the game of Risk or some of the war, chronicling historical narratives of battle. Well then, the first part you'll find interesting, but either way, you've got to have this information we have at the end of the parashat. It's part of Torah, we've got to know it that the Jewish people, on their way traveling to the promised land, they have a very innocent request of the king, sihon, king of the Amorites.

5:24 They said please let us in, let us through. We just need to pass through your land on our way to the promised land. We will not drink from your wells, we will not rip up all of your concrete, we will not mess up your paved roads, we will not turn into your fields or turn into your vineyards. We're just going to take the King's Highway, go right on through down Route 66, right through when you have nothing to worry about. Pretty reasonable request. Sichon's response spoiler alert it's a poor choice, really just a poor choice.

6:05 But Sihon responds you shall not pass, you shall not enter the territory. He gathered up his troops, his generals, round up the tanks, round up the armies and let's go out to go make war with the Israelites. You know, hindsight's 20-20, but this guy really made a real poor decision. Sure enough, the Jews absolutely decimate, absolutely decimate.

6:46 It seems like they just would decimate all of Sihon's army, smite him with the edge of the sword and, just like a floor lamp with a brilliant, shining fluorescent light bulb, the Jewish people were standing there shining bright, but the electricity to the lamp is what powers it. Hakadosh Baruch Hu powered this victory. And here we were. We took over the Amorites, we took possession of their land from Arnon until Yabok, and the passage sticks in a rather odd historical fact that they took all the cities, all the suburbs, all of Amory and Hezbon and all of its suburbs, its dependencies of Bechol, ben Aissel.

7:47 For the town of Hezbon, it was the main king's hub, kind of like Shushan was for Nebuchadnezzar. It is the Manhattan, the main metropolis, the busy streets, the Tel Aviv of King Sichon, the main city of Emor, the Emorim. The passage continues. The emorim, the apostle continues. This city, that is, the main city of the emorites, was taken captive in the war against Moab.

8:35 Okay, doesn't really seem necessary for the simple understanding, but clearly, if the Torah is telling us it's something we need to know and after that they were told that it was taken from Moab, telling us it's something we need to know and after that they were told that it was taken from Moab Al-Kain. Therefore, yom Ruha, moshlim, bo'u Cheshbon. Therefore, let the Moshlim say everyone, come to Cheshbon, t'bonah v'sichaynein ir Sihon, see how it's firmly built and well-founded, how well-founded Sihon cities were. And at this moment, it's very hard to understand what is the basic understanding of this Pasuk.

9:18 Therefore, let the Moshlim say Question one who are the Moshlim? Question two is there like a pause here that we're supposed to now sing something? Everyone's supposed to say something Is this a mitzvah commandment? And then, why is everyone coming to Hezbon? We should all stop and not go to Yerushalayim. We should all come to Hezbon. What's there? We took it over from the hands of the Emirates, who previously took it over from the Moabites. What's going on here? And there is a rather exciting approach from Rav Hirsch who proves that the word Moslem are the historical writers, kind of like Flavius Josephus in the historical doctrines of the Jewish war, that the Moslem are people that write down all that happened, who won which war and how many people died.

10:08 So it's really this large, clarion, exciting call of everyone come and see how this large, formidable army of the Moabites, they fell to the Amorites, which is really a spectacular defeat against all the odds. It was like a David against Goliath. But this needed to be pointed out because you should all see and make a hegemony, make an accounting about Israel, the town of Hezbon, because this big city that was so deeply involved with Moab and the surrounding cities, since it was all part of Moab, the Jewish people cannot attack it, because what it shows us in pointing out from Rashi that God told us we're not allowed to fight the Moabites.

11:04 It's a mitzvah, you're not allowed to at this current moment. Hashem said we're not allowed to fight the Moabites. It's a mitzvah, you're not allowed to at this current moment. Hashem said we're not allowed to do it. So Hashem flipped everything around and let the Amorites take over from the Moabites and now we're going to go and dominate the Amorites. So now it's allowed and we're able to take over the town of Hezbollah. So everyone, come here if you're a writer, note-taker, and see that God's fingerprint was all over this and that spectacular overcoming of the odds was just so that the Jewish people could go to war against the Amorites. That was taken from Moab. See and write it down for history.

11:44 And see that Ashkacha practiced that divine providence. That was taken from Moab. See and write it down for history and see that Ashkacha practiced that divine providence that was involved, but that's not today's topic. What is today's topic? What is today's topic? Well, perhaps you've guessed it just from the sheer fame of the verse we're discussing, maybe you've heard of it from Ramchal's writings, or maybe you've heard of it from the famous Gemara. But this posik that's brought alkein yoymira, moshlem bo'u cheshbin. Therefore, let the moshlem come and make a cheshbin. Tibona v'sichaynein ir sichon, that is the posik that Ramchal says, nestled in right here, if harnessed properly, is the golden key.

12:31 This is it that we've been looking for. This unlocks that shackled box of success. Coming to the town of Moshe, sorry. Coming to the town of Hezbon of Moshe, sorry. Coming to the town of Hezbon, and specifically, the Moshlim should come and say something. This rather confusing Pasuk is the answer, and I'll tell you. Baramchal says, in quoting a Gemara the way to read this Pasuk is Therefore, let those that are Moshe'll be Yitzram.

13:21 Let those come that have overpowered their Yetzirah and fought and proved triumphant over their lower self. Let them come to Hezbon Not Hezbon like the town, but mystically speaking, but homiletically speaking, but subtext speaking. Let them come to contemplation, for hejbon is where the answer to life is Thinking about life, brooding about your existence, the Ramchal.

14:04 In Derach Eitz Chaim. He tells us that Chachma, knowledge of God, is the way to God, the only way that we are to discover God. And the way that the first person discovered God, avram Avinu, was through thinking, making Hezbonos. Why am I here? What am I doing? Who's running this place? Ba'ul hejbon. And when you come to this so-called town of contemplation, your Moshe Be'yitzram, the Ramchal tells us that it is the most formidable and impactful force against the Yetzirah.

14:52 Why? Because the way that God set up the world is that latent inside of a charcoal coal lies knowledge of God, truth. But if one doesn't stoke the coals to make, that charcoal coal burst into a burgeoning Lag Baomer bonfire, one of those that they make in Mehron, the big Rebisha bonfire. The only way for you to get it and light it is through hejbon.

15:37 It is therefore incumbent on a man to contemplate, for without hejbon, without contemplation, wisdom will knock at his door but he will not answer and he will be left in the dark, stumbling about using his own devices, and man will continue to lead himself on a path of vanity. How does this all happen? Because he never bumped into truth, because he never came to cheshbin. Al-qayn, yaymir, amayshlim, those who have repowered their yitzhahara. They came to cheshbin. It was through the lack of focus that a person was doomed.

16:21 I'm just going to say the English that this lack of focus is the defining strategy of the evil inclination. He sinks all of his efforts into causing a man to fail because of his lack of discovering of the truth. Because the truth and wisdom, it strengthens the soul. But if the Eitzahah can keep one scrolling, keep one turned off, keep one from ever brooding about his existence, well then there's nothing that weakens a soul just like that.

17:02 That is what is. If man were not mindful of this and he came to Cheshbin just as God wanted him to, so that he would know what was right and therefore steer clear of temptation, his subsequent choices would be for the good and he would continue to fan the flames and understand more, and understand more, and understand more and get closer and get more wholesome and understand God more and love God and begin to fear God, and all of it can begin to happen.

17:50 But it all begins with level one, which is coming to cheshbon and thinking about life in the most basic way. And why not give it a shot? In this town called Hezbollah, why not stop by? For those who do live a pretty good life after that, but those who never learned to control their inclination, because they maybe never learned or stopped by the town of Hezbollah to think about why they should.

18:33 Ramchal's very convincing in the following. He says don't you know that a person will spend most of his time thinking about his temporal situation? Who won the game? Why the Yankees traded their shortstop? Should I invest more money or save more money? Is this shidduch the proper shidduch? Do I need to go to the dentist? How much do I weigh? Do I need to go on a diet? But all of these things are transient. Wouldn't it make the slightest bit of sense to think about and listen to how clear the ramchal is here? Lachshav, machsheves, mamish Ma, who Sit down and think Ma who, what is he?

19:18 What am I? Can you answer that? Can we put our phones on? Do not disturb and just think about ma who, what am I? The second thing to think about in the town of Hezbon, in the town of contemplation lama ba'a le'olam. Why am I on this earth? Why do I have a beating heart? Why was I sent down to this planet, lama ba'a le'olam? Why am I in the world? Do we have an answer to that? Do we give it constant or even the slightest bit of consideration?

19:59 This is the real kicker. The third question one should think about Ma mevakesh, mi menu, melech ma'ochei, amlochem ha'kodesh should think about what does God want from me? What is the king of all kings requesting of me? What is it that God wants from me? The third question and lastly, what's the point of everything down here? Why is all this happening? The four basic questions that one should sit down and think about Right here.

20:41 Part of the gramen of Bilaam, it's all part of this gemara, that you come to the town of Hezbon and you think and you turn into a moshel, a self-sustaining, independent, self-control-filled person. This is the ultimate antidote against that. You can find that's powerful to be the. It's easy and it's effectiveness is massive. Its fruits are great. To sit down the whole every single day.

21:24 Liv choy shoy, he says minimally for an hour, but anything is good. Achas ponoy to just sit. Here's the second Tanay about the town of Hezben and this golden key Ponoy, mishar kol, hamach shavos, not thinking about anything else, not thinking about life but then going right back, or partially thinking about life, but then going right back, or partially thinking about something else. While you're thinking about what's life about? But to actually find some peace, to sit down with a coffee without your phone, to cross your legs and to just think who am I, why am I here and who is running this place? Why is all this happening? The basic questions who is running this place? Why is all this happening? The basic questions.

22:06 It's easy, don't you see? And if it's not powerful to you or eye-opening to you, well, you have your answers. Because often the coals of truth need to be stoked and the Ramchal is telling us that the impact is so significant. One should further ask himself if you can make it more than a minute of just thinking about it. What did Moshe do? Ma asu harishonim?

22:52 What did all the earlier ones do? What did the Avos do and what did Moshe? What did they do that made God love them so much? Wwd, wwmd. What would Moshe do? Or what did WDMD? What did Moshe do, wdmd? What did he do? What made him special? Think about it, then read over. If you are now interested in it, you become, your heart grows with. Oh, you realize what Moshe did. You read the Pesach and he went outside. He cared for people. But you think, what did Moshe do?

23:33 What would Moshe do? What is it that King David Hamelach did? King David did, and all those spiritual giants that have preceded me. King David did, and all those spiritual giants that have preceded me Immediately these questions. They lead to answers, powerful answers, and they direct one to do good and improve one's situation. Just think about the most basic aspects of life. Come to Cheshbon. Ramchal points out in his Sefer HaMasilas Yishar. Maybe you're more familiar with this passage. There he brings the same thing, the same gemara, about coming to the town of Cheshbon and points out about how to actually go about this.

24:21 Yifash meish b'mayisov, yimash meish b'mayisov, that one should contemplate both before he does something and then during while he's doing something. Is he doing it right? He should take notes. Did I do the mitzvah properly? How can I improve on it? But the basic coming to the town of contemplation, turning one's brain on and stopping the scrolling and stopping even a tremendous amount of mitzvah adherence, that is done without thought and substituting in basic contemplation about life, why we're here, the basics of faith in an honest way.

25:02 That's how you do it, and when you do actually become somebody who's Moshe by Yitzhram, fully in control, you can become one that begins to give advice to other people because now we aren't blinded, or one isn't blinded by what the Yetzirah tells him, because he's fully in control. All this gleaned from this passage Al-Kin Yami Raham Oishlim. The steps towards prophecy. It all begins in the town of Hezbon. The steps towards prophecy. It all begins from the grommet of Balaam and his old, wrinkly dad Baor that helped the Amorites by cursing the Moabites to beat them in war that eventually everyone went down by the hands of God and the Israelites.

26:02 But in that moment of a grommet of celebration about how Hezbon was taken over, we got the Gemara. That explains the Ramchal is where everything begins. That you just sit with peace and think who made this world? Why am I here? What am I doing? What did Moshe do? What did Aaron HaKoen doing? What did Moshe do? What did Aaron HaKoen do? What did Rashi do? What did David HaMelech do? And you begin to stoke your charcoal coal into a large burning fire. It truly is simple and if we can, that's it.

26:48 We can commit once a week for, let's say, 60 seconds Seems like a good place to start. Maybe it can be on Matze Shabbos, maybe it can be as you're falling asleep but before your eyes are already closing, still conscious, to just think why did God send me to this world? Why am I here? Why did Hashem make trees?

27:28 Hmm, I wonder why. And you give it real thought, it brings towards real, honest searching which leads one to figure out what Moshe did, how the best ones did it, and that ultimately leads him towards self-control and becoming hopefully also beloved in the eyes of Hashem, which is the point of everything. Take a vacation to the town of Hezbon. Take a vacation to the town of Hezbon, begin to think 60 seconds once a week about the most basic questions of our Jewish faith, contemplate them in all honesty and see the incredible results.

28:18 Hezbon making a basic contemplation of life that's the very first step towards becoming beloved in the eyes of HaKadosh Baruch Hu.