Parshas Shlach: Our Jewish Obligation in 2024

0:00 It was that awkward moment when you know you have done wrong, you know you have gone awry, you have come to an erroneous conclusion, but yet you don't know why or when you made that mistake. You're not sure where to go from here. It was this past week when my chavrusa and I stared blank-faced at each other, and I stared blank-faced at each other, totally baffled and unsure of where we went wrong, as the way we had studied the steps of the Gemara, we were led to the conclusion that if one used this Sukkah on the holiday of Sukkot, this case study, the Sukkah would be valid and one could use it to fulfill his mitzvah of Yeshiva, sukkah on the holiday, and to confirm and solidify our halachic decision, the way we had understood the steps of the gemara, that the sukkah should be kosher.

0:52 We opened up to the Rambam's laws of sukkah chapter 5, to understand how the Rambam learned this gemara and to make sure that we were correct. And lo and behold, the Rambam paskened the opposite from what we had thought. The Rambam had learned the steps of the Gemara differently. That led him to a different conclusion. And now, clearly, we had gone awry. We had messed up in one of the steps, misunderstood, something that ultimately led us to conclude differently than the Rambam. And that's never a good feeling to ever come out with a different conclusion than the Rambam. So we weren't sure what to do and so we stood there blank-faced, staring at each other, just blinking, thinking well, what should we do now?

1:41 And one of us said, I know, let's go find Hagrach al-Haram, let's go find the great Reb Chaim Brisker, reb Chaim Soloveitchik's commentary and explanation analysis of the Rambam, to understand it. And so we did. We sprinted over to the bookshelf. We grabbed the big, tall black book with the gold letters Chidushi Hagoyim, reb Chaim al-Haram. We went to go find that specific halacha that would help us to understand why the Rambam understood it in that way. And we poured over the text. We tried our utmost to understand what Rivch Chaim was saying and why the Rambam concluded differently than we had.

2:27 And we just couldn't get it. We didn't understand what Reb Chaim was saying. He was attacking the topic, uniting different sources to try to show what the Rambam had seen in the Gemara and why he had brilliantly concluded the halacha in the way that he had. But as much as we read the words and tried to put together the Hebrew words into sentences, and the sentences into paragraphs, and the paragraphs into an idea, and then to further understand why it is that the Rambam went in the direction that he did. We could not make sense of the great Aharon's work. So we felt dejected, felt even more ashamed of our halachic prowess, or the lack thereof, and felt that we can't even understand where or why we went wrong.

3:20 But then I remembered, I got a little spark in my belly because I remembered that it's parashashlach. Parshashlach, that's that mimer from Rebbe Rocham. That's where it all began three years ago, with the obsession of the great Mir Mashiach when in his Ma'amorim and Sefer Das Torah, on page Kuf Mem Vav 146, you'll find the talk he described about what happens when a Yeshiva Bacher cannot understand his Torah studies. And he gives the mindset and how one should think. And the mimer goes as follows I'll tell you why.

4:02 It gave me such a newfound appreciation of one's pouring efforts into his growing in his Torah and his mitzvot and also gives us an exact, clear and definitive definition of what is our one established principle that we should be developing in our Judaism in 2024. Cut and dry, clear as the sun shining high in the sky, the mime goes as follows. Rabbi Urachim develops the point that as the generations go down from Harsinai, when things were beautifully bright and clear, there was or in the world or ain't.

4:50 So Fakadosh Baruch Hu lit up the world. Things were beautiful and great. But as the generations descend, really as they further themselves from Harsinai, the generations become more and more dark. The Choshech, the darkness become more and more dark. The darkness begins to take over the world and the light begins to decrease. The sages, their stature, follows along with this process that Moshe Rabbeinu had it all on the tip of his tongue, even in his esophagus For tongue, even in his esophagus for the divine spoke from his esophagus. Yehoshua had it. The Malachim, the Shoftim, they had it, the Amiroyim, the Tanoim.

5:35 But as the generations go, there becomes more and more darkness and less understanding of the light, of Hashem's Torah, the Doros, haachronos, the generations before Mashiach. And it is no secret that it's many thousands of years since we have had the Beis Hamikdash destroyed, that we've been sent into Golis. So in this generation, of course, we are surrounded by tremendous darkness, darkness in so many aspects, in so many realms where it's hard to see the light of Hashem.

6:16 But a person needs to remember that for someone to make an impact, to bring the light of Hashem into the world, to bring the light of Hashem into the world, his candle only shines and makes an impact if his candle is lit in the darkness. Rabbi Recham says it is the choshech, the darkness that is kovea amakom yoser gadomen ar, that a person's effectiveness to bring light into the world, it is more efficacious in total darkness. So in citing a post like that is why Koheles tells us in the really very beginning I'll tell my men should never say oh, the old generations, it was better that way in the good old days.

7:11 Never say such a thing. The Medrash Koheles, zion Yud talks about how Yehoyodah was at the same level of Aaron Akoin and clearly hard to understand because Aaron Akoin was absolutely incredible, literally the Kohen Gadol Yehoyodah many generations later. How is it possible? How can we equate such two differently towering giants? Aaron, seemingly, is larger than Yehudah, but because of the generation and because of the continuous descent, it becomes more and more darkness and a mensch is judged based on his generation, according to your surroundings.

7:54 And Aaron and his generation Yehudah and his generation Yehudah and his generation Yehudah was greater or was as great as Aaron. To clarify it doesn't mean that Yehudah did not study Aaron HaKoen's farm, for of course Aaron HaKoen, he knew more. He was larger in chachma in stature, in godless, in his ur, because clearly he's standing inside of the Kledesh HaKadoshim with the tzitz of Kledesh HaShem on his forehead. He's Aaron HaKoen, the brother of Moshe. Rabbeinu had prophecy in his infancy, of course, the greatest of great, but the ur, the light, was more revealed at that point.

8:37 So Yoyoda does study Aaron HaKoen's works, but in Hashem's eyes, the light that he brings to the world, the light and its effectiveness is judged according to the generation. And here comes the paragraph that's the kicker. That very much was the paragraph heard around the world. With his heart on fire and his lips pronouncing the words of Hashem, he turns to the Bachram and says is it something small that y'all, bachram, have traveled from around the world to the town of Mir, from countries from Germany, from Spain, from France, from Switzerland, from America, through tough traveling situations you've all overcome that and to come and study Torah here in Belarus, here in Yeshiva Asmir, is that something small?

9:42 Is that not something incredible? Ben Yeshiva, a person involved in the Yeshiva Kahayom, somebody that is studying Torah seriously today, in these generations that puts in sufficient effort to understand the gedolim's works and their chachma. He's studying the books of the sages From generations previous, those of the likes of Reb Ya'akiva, eger, the Ksois, the Nesivas, the Kliyakar, the Imkol Yigayasa, with all of his determination and will, the Adayan Eno, omed Aldevarov, shaloso Agadol.

10:33 And yet, with all of his will, and yet with all of his will, he still cannot understand what the gadol means when he is trying with his chavrusa, with his utmost effort, to make sense of the ramam, according to reb chayim saloveitchik's understanding, but yet, because of his inadequacies or his lack of understanding, because of his cognitive capabilities are limited, but yet still, you should know that anyone in that generation who puts in sufficient effort is greater than even that Gadol himself, the one who authored the work.

11:14 I didn't say that. Rebbe Urachim said that I remembered that and that gave. Meb Yerucham said that I remembered that and that gave me. It gave me hope, it made me feel confident. It made me feel a little awkward, because how could I be anywhere near some of the great sages of yore? But Reb Yerucham continues the MS. In truth, I don't have a doubt about it, there isn't the slightest doubt about it, but I can no longer continue to speak about it. I cannot continue to discuss the greatness of you, of you, of you, of you, of you, of you, of you, of you, of you, of you, of you, of you, of you, of you, of you, of you, of you, of you, yeshiva bachram, of you, studiers of Hashem's Torah, oh l'hiz'aviz, b'alei ga'iva, lest y'all become self-centered, b'alei ga'iva, because you understand your self-worth and your greatness.

12:05 So I must stop discussing the matter. That's the mimer parashashlach. That's the paragraph. I looked at my chavrusa. I said, alicia, we don't understand but the light that we're bringing to the world. We're Messiah Geahatev and we put in sufficient effort. We mustn't drop our countenances. We must stand up strong and feel confident, even if we don't fully understand why we posken differently than the Rambam. A mensch in this generation can poil os, can bring into effect so much light because of the darkness, and practically the way we are judged is according to our generation.

12:53 We have, after we pass away, it should be at 120 to stand and give a reckoning about our generation. We have, after we pass away, it should be at 120, to stand and give a reckoning about our actions. And with Hashem sitting on the bench with the jury presiding next to him. Bistrol Salanter says that the jury is made up of those sages from the generation that you had just deceased from. You're going to see the sages that live in 2024. You aren't going to see the Rajba and the Rambam because we're going to be judged by. It would have been Reb Chaim Kanievsky and last generation, but in this generation it's the young scholars in a Talmud that overcame the odds, that showed that in this generation it's still possible to become a totally God-fearing Jew.

13:48 Those are the judges, because they show that it is possible in a generation of darkness. Reb Yerucham, he said that's why in Kelm, the altar of Kelm, he was particularly focused on educating the students to never steal even the slightest bit, because he knew that Reb Yisrael Salanter, who had just passed away, was going to be sitting on the bench up in the next generation, up in Olam Haba, and he was particularly fastidious, in the realms of gazela, of stealing. So if he's going to be there, he's very particular about it. We're going to have an intense judge.

14:29 We need to make sure that. Oh, if that's the judge, we need to make sure that we're going to follow his rules, keep in and get a good verdict from the jury. And so it is that we have people in this generation that have found a way to have perfect trust in God and, even amongst the worst suffering, even amongst their families being annihilated by the horrible Holocaust, families being annihilated by the horrible Holocaust, still they're able to have a smile on their face and trust in God. These people are machayavus.

15:09 They obligate us to have our perfect faith, as they be on the jury up there and judge us unfavorably, because it does seem possible. And so, friends, what do we do? What do we do in this dark time, this wartime, this rather vulgar world that we're a part of? What do we do? What can we focus on? What is our avoda and how can we bring some light to this horribly dark sorry for saying it, but sin-filled world, a world that deifies pleasure-seeking and puts any matter of the soul and God-seeking in the background?

15:58 Well, the answer is clear. The answer is simple and has been taught, and together let us explore this. Gemara, masech, tamachos, that tells us the answer. You should see it over and over again. It's on Makos, chaf, dalet, amad, aleph Dor, ashrab Simloi. Listen to these words, listen to these words. Listen to these words, listen to these words, listen to these words, listen to these words, listen to these words, listen to these words, listen to these words 613 mitzvos were given to Moshe, and the Gemara delineates how it works how many positive mitzvos, how many negative mitzvos? Gemara 611 plus the two that Hashem said directly from His mouth that we heard and killed us twice.

16:46 That leads us to 613. David came and established all the 613 commandments onto 11 mitzvos, as the passage says, even mitzvos, as the Pesach says. And Rashi clearly bothered by how could this be? What does this mean that David, did he take away mitzvos? Did he summarize them? Did he establish them? What does this mean? Rashi says Perfect, righteous saints were the first generation. They could withstand the entire yoke of mitzvahs as the generations go in the later generations.

17:31 They were not entirely righteous and if they're going to endeavor to hit every single one of the mitzvos, no one would merit to see that actually coming to fruition. But David came, david, and he established it. If they are, if they do these 11, you'll be doing all of Torah. The Gemara even continues. It goes down and down. Rashi says every single door, every single door.

18:11 It gets darker and darker. Eventually he put it into six different mitzvahs that we are to keep the most established, the most focal, the most fundamental and the most practical. But as the generations got darker and darker and we got further and further away from our Sinai, as more and more distractions and more and more sins were committed, it's only three, certain mitzvot, and in all these cases, the Gemara tells us what the mitzvahs are and how to keep them. And then, at the very end of the Gemara, we find that Bo Chavakot Chavakot came, the Heliget Prophet.

18:51 He came and summarized and established the one principle, the one immutable fact, the one halacha that we're able to fulfill in its entirety. He came and he established all 613 mitzvahs upon one principle, the one thing that a person in 2024. Should put all of his effort into. And remember, this is a gemara, remember this is directly and remember this is the entire point, in summary Of what our focus should be Ba'al Chavakuk. Chavakuk came the emidon al-achas and established it upon one principle. In summary of what our focus should be. What is that? As the Pesach says, but the righteous person shall live by his faith.

19:43 Faith, emunaso, emunah, faith in God. That is the mitzvah that is required in Astevas. That is the mitzvah in the Doros Achronos In the darkest of times, as the world gets darker and darker and descends further and further, as madness seems to take over the world, as bits and pieces of divine prophecy scatter the world and it seems as if things are wild and that there is no control, and it seems to us like nothing makes sense. Why are innocent people dying and why should the evil ones prosper?

20:24 Why do the sinners invoke their will upon the righteous? Why is it that the righteous suffer? Why is it that innocent people that are trying to do the will of Hashem go through so much struggle, trial and tribulation? How is it? How is it? Why is it? What are we to do? Bacha Vakuk, there's one thing that we have the ability to overcome and to fulfill in its entirety. It is our Amunah, our faith, our trust in God. The righteous person lives by his faith. Faith in its basic definition.

21:10 Faith, the confidence or the trust in Hashem that all that he does is good is just, is moralem, that all that he does is good is just, is moral, that all of his doctrines, all of his moral principles and teachings are perfect. Faith, certainty, that, even in the darkness, when there is no evidence, no proof of Hashem's existence. It's darker than dark.

21:51 And the ikvisa de Meshicha? We still hold unshakable faith in Hashem, that that mitzvah. That is our job. To be perfect in that area, all 613, those days are over, perfect in 11, perfect in 5, perfect in 2. Maybe in generations before, but perfect in faith. It's our obligation and responsibility to have perfect faith in God, no matter what's going on.

22:39 Perfect faith, that's our job. Lehagid ba'boker chasdecha, we say in Davening, to speak in the bright morning of your kindness and of your faith, of your emunah in the darkness. That's 2024. That is our job. The emunah sabalelos. It seems confusing, but the world is very simple, it is all one.

23:22 And in order to educate ourselves and further solidify our faith, it can't just be lip service when we remind ourselves of the six things of Sheish Mitzvot to Medios or the remembrances that we're supposed to recall every day to solidify our faith we should meditate on those, we should think about them, remember that God took us out of Egypt and remember that he exposed himself to one nation, and remember that he made a unique relationship with us, and remember that we had a base on Migdash with miracles, and remember and recall and understand so that that will help you and your faith to endure.

24:03 You learn the basic Tanakh with Rashi's commentary, for all of Emunah is in it, says Rabbi Recham. When you understand the basic stories, you understand these people, what they stood for, and you understand the timeline of Jewish history. When you see the basic outline, the bare bones and structure, you understand Emunah. I'm here for a reason and I understand how my faith can be ironclad in the darkest of night. Faith, unshakable, unwavering faith in Hashem, no matter the challenges, it is possible and that's our job.

24:45 And then, after a bit of a tangent, when we discussed this topic, we pepped ourselves up, went right back to the Sefer of Hagrach al-Rambam to understand the Rambam again, to tell you the end of the story. We never really understood why the Rambam poskened one way and we didn't understand or come to that same conclusion. But all I know is that our faith was improved or morale became high-end, top-notch.

25:29 We are ready for more, because we knew that through our effort and through any person who's seeking to push himself to fulfill Hashem's will in this generation, and specifically in the realms and guidelines of Emunah, of faith in Hashem, you bring a tremendous amount of light to this world, and who knows, maybe that could be the impetus for the great light and the ultimate reveal when Moshiach comes, and it should be very, very soon in our days.