Good to be back for our second shear. Again, we are studying Mihas Ossher, the newly-released second edition on Emuna and Bhitahon, in addition to whatever relatively small arose and tikkunim that were made to the previously published essays. The biggest British of this second edition is the new fifth section of the Seifair, which is called Eis Milhama, which are by and large essays and write-ups of talks that our Vashir has given on the topic of war generally, and specifically focusing on the war in Gaza, Kharka Barzell, now also in Lebanon, over this past year. The first year that we did, which is actually the third piece in the section, was a general essay. And as I mentioned when we learned last time, I'm not sure it was necessarily written or spoken or taught, specifically about our current war, but it was called Skula, Lehi Shamair by Milhama, and it was our Vashir Wise's focus on the power of Shma'i Yisra'el, and what is Qabbas, O Maha Shma'im, truly mean, and it's relevant specifically as is Hus, or Skula, whichever word you prefer, for the Haileen. The next piece, which we will do, the fourth in the section, or otherwise entitled Siman Memgimmel, in the Seifair, chapter 43, this is a powerful one, at least as much for what is said, but for when it was said. This is titled "Divre Chizuk, Bimehazza'am, Shilhi Tishre Tuftshin Pay Dalid." In case you're not sure what that's referring to, the subtitle in parentheses tells us, "Nemar Bistruchag Tuftshin Pay Dalid." In other words, this was the first talk that our Vashir gave in public the day after Simchastore last year, or as we might say in English vernacular, not 10/7, the day of the horrible attack, but 10/8, the day afterwards. Or perhaps it was that night. I'm not sure about when it was given, but the Hebrew date was already the day after Sukkis. And we can only imagine trying to remind ourselves what it was like in those emotional first hours, the first half a day, the first day, that we were learning, the unfolding news, slowly coming out of the south of Israel and Gaza, and how horrific it was, how shocked we were. And I, myself, Anya Katan, here in Arshul, and in the community of Memshaloshir, Mapachimash, I spoke at a gathering, and it is fascinating and powerful and emotional to see it right up now. A year later, plus, what Avashir said, exactly in that moment. It's a relatively long piece, and I think what we'll do is divide it up into three mini shurims. So we'll do the first third or so today. I'm Yitzah Shem. Next week, we will do the middle part of the year of the essay, excuse me, and then our last meeting in the coming week, we will also finish the she or the essay by doing the final third. So let's begin. And again, remember, this is a write-up. Again, I wasn't there. I don't know if there's a recording. I don't know if this is literally word for word, what it was done. Ha'was said, but this is the way it's presented, not attempting to make it into an article, but Mamash giving you as if it's the spoken word of Arshuloshir. A'chai virei, ha'ho vin vahayakarim. And he's speaking as a beloved rabbi in addition to being a post-Aik and a God-all for the entire generation of the Jewish people. Ravashir has a community in Ramot, that he is the Ravov. He has tamidim, that he is the Rabbi of. And I'm sure many of them were gathered to hear him that night or that following day. Isruchag a year ago. My dearest friends, my beloved. Avar yom echad. My yomazess. Simchas Torah, Tafshimpay Dalid. My yomazess. Shahmani. Basis sural. Devakim bakarish barchul. Smechim bakarish barchul. Shahmani vireakim bakarish barchul. We just finished a day, a unique day, on the Jewish calendar. A day in which so many countless, if not thousands, if not countless Jews were gathering together, love of their fellow Jew, love of Hashem, love of Torah. Dancing, singing, celebrating. And the love of Hashem, the love of Torah. Vidavka. My yomazess kapazah. Myra saden pogabano. Bahaleve. Mittpaleits. Nimaz kolavarafu kalyadayim. And it was davka on such a day, that we were confronted by this terrible, terrible. Myra saden. The Skrualks. Tragedy. Depefellas. Our heart is pounding. Our heart is melted. Our hands are weak. Physically. It's not just an emotionally, but physically. We feel the effects of the trauma of this news. After all, Yosarame Elifmishbahot shu wrote. Wurototot. Umusarot. More than a thousand families. Torn, tormented, and broken. More than a thousand precious beloved Jews. Mehot vallafim alma notviatomim. Their loss, their death, leaving in their wake. Thousands of bereaved family members. Widows and orphans. Fathers and sons, parents and children. Siblings. Shulayakos ruhabaita ode. Whose loved one will never return. This is a day, which is a bitter day. A day in which Anakhnukhayavim la hargish but saaram. We have to feel the pain. And here, Revasharweis, for the first time, but I am sure not the last time in his presentations over the course of the year and the ongoing trauma of this war. Quote, the famous statement of the Ramban in the third pair of the Khashouva, Aloha y'allaf. Haparjim dachate sibor of Afro-Pishlo, Avar Averos. Elanifdul, me adas yusrab, enos amisas bechalon. Vall ai, vallon ich nas bitzarasan, vallomis anibita anizan. Enlo reilik almabbar. Their famous presentation of the Ramban. One of the people who's considered napi koris. One of the people who forfeits their lot in the world to come. Is someone who might do all of the mitzvos, might be super duper from, as we might say. Yet if that person is not nich nas bitzarasan, does not feel, does not enter, does not join, does not share the pain of the Jewish people, does not stand shoulder to shoulder with his or her fellow Jews. Does it fast if there be a communal fast that was called for the sorrow of the Jewish people? And this person says, that was have to do with me. Either, you know, Stamm, I don't care about the Jews, even if I live among them, or maybe I live in the other neighborhood, or I live in a different country, I live in America there in Israel, or even if I live in Israel, but you know, they're attacking the people in the south, I'm in the north, they're attacking the people in the shtachim, I live in the city, whatever the case may be, or you just whatever reason, even if you're right there, you just don't feel connected. I may be Jewish, my mother may be Jewish, but what do I care? It doesn't matter. I'm not part of the Jewish people. A person who has that level of non-relationship, distanced himself from the family of the Jewish people, ain't lo helekom habah, no matter how many other mitzos such a person does. And therefore concludes our Vahshar, this opening paragraph, eich efshar shilola hargish, esa ke eva atum ve satsar hanorah. And again, this is certainly obvious when we think about the day after. Says our Vahshar wise, who cannot feel the incredible pain, the ripped heart, the broken soul, the terrible pain and anguish of the Jewish people. So this opening paragraph, I want to point out, I think is making two points. One, the one that we concluded with and we emphasized a moment ago, that it's incredibly important for even those of us who didn't live in the south, again, we're talking about a day after this event, or even less than the day after this all happened. Even the people who were not yet completely at all affected. Nevertheless, these are our Jews, our fellow Jews, our brothers and our sisters, and then for every Jew everywhere has to feel that pain and to be nik naslut surah sanshe shilola. His other point, which he actually makes earlier, which I think is a subtle point, but in many ways, just as important, if not from an objective philosophical way, or Hoshkofig way, but still on an emotional level, he makes the point that part of what is so particularly painful and makes the objective tragedy even worse is the timing, that it happened on Simchastora. And this is a simple but very important psychological insight, that whatever the level of pain or disappointment is in life, whenever that pain occurs at a moment when the person otherwise thought, and otherwise was expecting something good, and instead of the good, something bad happens, it's always even worse than it would have been if it happened at another time. Rahmona Latslan, if a couple thinks that they're giving birth to a healthy baby, and instead they have a stillborn. So objectively, a stillborn is a terrible thing, but if they knew that they were having the stillborn, it would be bad enough. But if they went into the delivery room, thinking they were having a healthy child, and instead left that room with a stillborn, it's that much worse. If something happens on the day of a wedding, on the day of an anniversary, at some other happy occasion, and instead of the happiness, instead, Rahmona Latslan of celebrating, you know, an unadulterated symbol of a child's wedding, one of the parents, Rahmona Latslan, as every name that you hear about, has a heart attack or something like that, and drops dead at the wedding of their child. How much worse is it than if it happened at any other time? Objectively, it's the same death, it's the same tragedy. But the timing and the dashed hopes, and surprising ending, instead of the expected celebration, the grievous pain makes it all that much more worse. As I said, I was sure on a subtle level, if you're particularly attuned to the Jewish calendar, and the rhythm of the Jewish year, with so many people celebrating and happy on this day, that this day, became such a horrible, painful, traumatic day, makes it all the worse. Says our Vashir, and this is really the pivot transition line for the rest of the entire essay. People want Chizok. An aschim wrote, tzim l'itrazeik, tzim l'adat, b'amatsar ikl'itrazeik, miyish lamar. So Chizok, both in terms of, you know, how can you encourage me? But also, what advice can you give me, rvashirweis, to help me deal either A, with my own pain, or B, help us as a Jewish people, come out on the other side, on the other end of this, in a positive, in a powerful way. What can we do to help make the situation better? Obviously, rvashirweis is not talking to the prime minister, or to the head of the army, about what plans they should make. That's not his role. But we are a spiritual nation, a nation of miracles, and even as we need the best, we hope of functioning in a smart government, and we hope an amazing, an incredible and a powerful army. Of course, we believe that, in the end of the day, the Jewish people's collective merits will hopefully give us the benefit of Hashem, being on our side, and blessing our efforts. Rachman Al-Slaan, if we don't deserve it, that doesn't matter how strong the army is, and how smart the politicians are. So what can we do? What are the things that we need to focus on, says rvashirweis? And this is really going to make up the bulk of the rest of the presentation, and we will get through, I think he does, I can't remember exactly how many, maybe four altogether, specific pieces of advice that he gives, but the fourth one, which is the biggest, will actually say it till tomorrow's year, or whatever we do it next week, but let's see if we can get through the first three points that he makes just tonight. So the first thing he says is, alif, bottom of the page here, kodum kol, fikimhi kazek beamunu vitakhon. The first thing is, we can't give up, we can't lose our faith. You have to strengthen our belief in our trust in Hashem, and of course, if you remember our shear from last week, this is consistent with his presentation, of the focus on schmah, and kabbal-sa-mah-shamayim. "And he admits," says our Vasharweis. "He admits, kasha." It's hard. "Kasha"ly wrote. "Kasha"ly schmoha. The images that we're seeing, the news that we're hearing, it's very, very difficult. And he acknowledges in the words of the ramban, and his introduction to his commentary on Safer Eov, which of course, Eov, Job, is all about suffering, and says the ramban, something that we all know, but it's still powerful here, in the words of the ramban, that there is nothing that is as painful for the heart, or mind-blowing, for the brain, then the fact that we see good people suffering, and bad people thriving, as he puts it, "mishpat-mukal." It seems like justice is crooked. We don't see it really going well. "Sarik," "Butralo," "Russia," "Vitovlo," and we say, we ask, we're normal. "Madua-derch-plonieu plonid-slecha." Why does this person seems to be so bad? Successful. "Vitovlo-derch-plonieu plonid-slecha." It said, "Ikeem, if you do, and why are these people who seem to be so righteous? Why are they suffering? Why did they die?" And the ramban acknowledges, painfully, but honestly, forthrightly. "Mimenu-levado," from this one issue, this one question, "Nimchuchu-rabimachal-derch-plonid-slecha." And I think this is, perhaps, you could say this is controversial, or it's at least debatable, but I personally think Revolter Weiss is correct. He says, "This is really more an emotional issue than an intellectual issue." Now, what I think he means, and what I mean when I say, I think he's correct, is that I think that as terrible as the events of October 7th were, they're not the first, and sadly, probably not going to be the last time we see good people suffer, and God forbid tragedy in the world, and people who are religious, you know, on October 6th, so it means that intellectually, they've somehow made peace with the reality that there are things in life they don't understand. Either they have a theory that I think explains it, or more likely, they're willing to have a certain level of intellectual humility and continue on in their faith and their life over religious observance, even though they don't understand it. That being said, and I think that's a correct assumption on my part, and I think that's what Revolter Weiss is talking about, so there isn't necessarily a new intellectual challenge that's created, a new theological challenge, created by the events of October 7th. However, he points out, and I think also correctly, the emotional trauma that actually is real, because the events of October 7th, and especially with the pictures and the videos that we all saw, were so extreme, so painful, so raw, so torturous, that the emotions of the pain and how could I share, allow this to happen? Not as a theological intellectual question, but as an emotional, critiquure, just a call from a broken heart. That is the thing that we need to be Mahasic ourselves to be able to deal with. And he points out that we're not the first, and even the Ramban in his generation wasn't the earliest to have this question. The mana Brakhosav Zain tells us that Moshe Rabainu says, "Houdinina, Houdinina, Es der Akhaka." And that is understood by at least one opinion in Hazal, that Moshe Rabainu himself wanted to know the secret of Russia, the Tovlo. And when we met him at Biosi, they argued if Moshe Rabainu got an answer, but I think the more accepted interpretation is that of where we met her. The Gamro-Shirabainu La Zakhalohavina Sataluma Aschalatsadik Varallo. The mystery, the theological intellectual mystery of how can we make sense? How can we understand? How can we explain? How can we make evil compatible with divine justice? Even when Moshe Rabainu did not have an answer for that. Ma'qivhala wa wa vot, wa maddivhamasha wa vot. This torments our heart and our brain and our mind. But nevertheless, Suhim-laddat, Shaqar-Shirabhu Tamidi Manu, the Tamid-o-he-votan-um. It's an axiom of faith. We have to make us like ourselves to internalize this axiom of faith, that Qashbarhu never abandons us. He's with us, and he loves us, even when we don't understand what's happening. In our Russia-Y speaks for a moment autobiographically. Benani, he says, "I am the child of Holocaust survivors." And we know that this is a significant category of the population. It's its own category, its own population group, with its own characteristics, and frankly its own trauma. Survivors themselves and the whole population group called "children of survivors." Kamavimori of Imimorasi, both of his parents, who survived the Holocaust, both of them lost almost their entire families. Parents, grandparents, siblings, etc. And yet, Rabashawai says proudly about his parents, and about many others. My own grandparents, for example, but clearly not everybody. But yet, despite the overwhelming pain, intellectually, theologically and emotionally of the Holocaust, there were people who were able, such as our Russia-Y's, including his own parents, to Mihazik themselves and the Ramuna. Moreover, such as our Russia-Y says, is famously known. Our Russia-Y's is one of the prime students of the famous Kloyzenberger Rebbe. Somebody who himself had the unthinkable. His wife and his wife and 11 children were killed by the Nazis. And says our Russia-Y's and all the years that I knew him, not only did I never hear him complain, but says our Russia-Y's Shammat Mihmanu-Pam-Busikai-Sheet, once in a personal conversation with him. He said the following to me, despite how lonely he was, how alone he was in this world, how much pain he went through, losing his entire family, who amarly says our Russia-Y's. Now, as soon as it was in Yiddish, where our Russia-Y's is speaking in Hebrew, Kloyzenberger said to him, "Me olum lohir harti achamidosab, shakar jmarhu, ach, lo liraga achad." Kloyzenberger said to himself, despite it all, never once and never for a moment, that ever question God's ways. Now, this is shocking in a certain sense. It's that hard to believe. It's that amazing. And our Russia-Y's knows this. Zos Madreganis-Kavai-Shez. This is an actually unbelievably overwhelming level. And yet, there are people who can reach such a level, and all of us have to aspire to be as close as we can to that level. And then points out something, which I, myself, have heard from Russia-Y's in the name of the Revi. We have a tradition we know. It's even brought down a shakanar, kaminar, the only sei shmai, sha'a shamluken, or shamahr. We not only close our eyes, the shakarar brings down a simm in samahr. We cover our eyes, not only close our eyes, but cover them. And the shakarar there seems to imply that we do this so that we don't lose kavana. We don't get distracted. It's something important to say in shmah. However, ask the Revi, l'hara, imusum hah, hai ma speak shi yatsumatay naav. If it was only just to make sure we weren't distracted, it would have been enough just to close our eyes. Why do we actually cover them as well? Because as a Russia wise, if in addition to closing our eyes, we also cover them, there must be an additional benefit. Not practical, because practically speaking, the benefits already come the fact that we closed our eyes. Why are we also covering our eyes? It must be something simmly. There must be some symbolic message we're trying to convey. And what is that? Let's turn the page. Amma amor verabiyakodos. He said, "I heard from my Revi, the Kleisenberger. The fami manu zokim lemide sai rachamim. There are times in life where we truly see and feel and experience how Karshbrokhos compassion, love, and kindness. The shame havaya, the ud ke vavkei, the shame of rachamim. But there are other times in life. Miras aden pogazbanu, where we are confronted and we experience what certainly feels like God's cold justice. And that's the name not of ud ke vavkei, but Elokim. That's Miras aden. And therefore, says a Russia wise, quoting his Revi, the Kleisenberger. Why do we cover our eyes during shi ma? Other Mahasas aenav veradou? By covering our eyes, in essence, whom a kris he is making a declaration. Lo hoshuvlanu ma anu roim. That it's not about what we see. Mecha simit aenaim, we're covering our eyes. Ma aminim muchtadim lehargish. Hashem alokainu? Hashem alokainu? Hashem alokainu. Hashem ud ke vavkei, Miras aden sai rachamim. Hashem alokainu, Elokainu, Miras aden. Ud ke vavkei and alokim. Racham alokainu. Hashem alokainu. Ud it's all rachamim. I, when I look out into the world with my eyes, I don't see the rachamim. Sometimes I see it. Other times I see terrible coldness. Even God forbid cruelty. And Hanami, that's if we have our eyes open. But we cover our eyes, symbolically as if to say, we know that the ultimate reality is not the one that our eyes see. It's the one that our Anashama sees, so to speak. It's not about what our eyes are seeing. We cover our eyes to say our eyes are not really the truest guide. In this case, our eyes would mislead us. Our eyes make it look like there's both good and bad, rachamim and den cruelty and compassion that they're separate. And often the compassion and the rachamim and the avah is in the minority. But we cover our eyes as if to acknowledge and make the declaration. Anakanami. The reality is our eyes see it as one thing. But we believe that it's not the true reality. The true reality is Hashem and Elukim is really a chard. It's all Hashem, all you'd give up, it's all rachamim. Now this is not easy, obviously. But Sajarim Ashwas, that's the point. Zha'atavkii chalonavani seon chalono. This is a tremendous challenge, of course, but that is our mission. If I can say, the soldiers, the politicians, etc, they have their issue, they have their mission. They, but especially all of us, the rest of us, what's our mission? It's the right thing. It's the right thing. It's a tremendous pain. It's pain that won't go away. It's pain that we've never experienced before. And despite all that, Hargishbilii Benusch Hashem, Ohevotanu, to still feel Hashem's love and compassion. That takes a lot of work, but it's doable. Rachawais says, "My parents could do it." Many other Holocaust survivors did it. Clay Zumberger did it. Not everybody. It's an Isayon, it's not easy. You have to work at it. But that's our Anisayon, that's our Tafqid. In Anachenami, we believe Latihlavonavin, one day in the future, it'll all make sense to us. But right now, we don't understand, and therefore, we need to take a leap of faith, we need to have Amuna, and Bittachon. That is all point number one. Point number two. And this, again, thinking about this a year plus later, I'm sure we'll talk about this in future shoot room as well. But unfortunately, we are at a point now where there's a lot of fighting and a lack of Achtus. But Rachawais was speaking on day one or day half. And it wasn't yet Achtus, it wasn't yet pure, there was just shock. And I think we all know, experientially, that there was a period where there seemed to have been a lot of Achtus, and that has unraveled for whatever reason. That's not our topic now. But says Rachawais speaking right away in the first hours or not day after the horrible events of 10/7. Post-Bet, "Bismana mochamat rachim." Achtus. The most important thing he says is, unity. We have to work on that as well. And he quotes the Medrich in Aviukaraba, which is similar to a Hazal from the Ushamim in Pe'a, which I often quote, that contrasts the generation of Davenama'lach, that even though they were very righteous and very learned, but nevertheless, the Tila Muhammad noflin, they lost all further battles and war. And why, despite all the righteousness, Shahoyuban del Turin, they spoke much in her about each other. They were in Maglogus, they were divisive. And they lost how you know from them as a result. Avodarshal Akhav, the generation of Akhav, the wicked king, where Avodazara was pervasive in the land. Nevertheless, they were unified, unified in their wickedness, but they were unified. And as a result, Hayliyotsalim Akhav, and Notschine. And we see from this, says Irvashar, and it's obvious the plain reading of Hazal, just how important Akhav is. It then goes on to quote, "A similar idea in the name of the Ismach Moshe." And if I'm not mistaken, the Ismach Moshe was Ramesh Al-Bambi. He had a very important role. He was a predecessor, an ultimately ancestor of the Samar dynasty in Hungary. And more than that, he is the one who brought Khasidus in general to Hungary. And he has a very tremendous Balchasidus Balregash, but he's also a Gohon in Halacha in Lambdas as well. And in his Seifran Khumish, the Ismach Moshe, says Irvashar Weiss, in four or five, six different places, he brings the same measures. Not the measuresh we just saw, but it's slightly different measures. The Khalsmach is all about Goudachas and Kalluma, Vallocha and Yakhola, Lishpukpehem. When we are unified, no one can touch us. And the measures compares this to a unified binding of, you know, reads or of sticks. We know that sticks are reads or bamboo, especially as it gets dry, it's very brittle. And therefore, called Konebodeh, if you have each individual stick or read or bamboo shoot, it could easily break. But if you tie them all together, a Goudachal Khanim Rabim, Hakshirim Yakhad, a Vibrachal or Yakhola, Lishpukpehem, no one could beat it, no one could break it. Kakh Khashir Yistralba Goudachas, which people are unified, no one can beat us. And a modern version of this same martial role is one which we often hear, whether it's in military context or Laha'u'llah of the alfalfa of those, even sometimes you'll hear about this in the sports context, with teams, and they'll say, you know, five fingers, each separated, you're not going to go far, and in a fight, you're very likely to, not hurt the enemy, you yourself might get your fingers broken. When you close all the fingers together, you make a fist. That's when you're more protected and you can do more damage. Same idea that we're seeing in these sources. Okay. And now the final piece, very short, that he mentions here on the next page. Oh, it's Gimme. What's the third thing we have to focus on? And it's Gazuk, the Harbous Batilah. We need to focus on Davening. We have to realize that Tila is all about our expression of our awareness, of our vulnerability, and our dependence on our Kurdish barhu. And therefore, Tila is always important, especially in the time of Tzara. Ubih frat, Cesar Vahforweis, he's a big fan of, Amira Tihillim. Tihillim is incredibly important. And Cesar Vahshir, already on day one, 10/8. He already made a takana in his base, Medrash. Did they say three pakm of Tihillim? Together, out loud, possibly by Posuk, in his shul, after every minion. Ain schoola yotir gidola, m'asher m'esthilim. He says, "If you want some kind of divine protection, divine merit, nothing is better than Tila. Nothing is better than Tihillim." With frat, Cesar Vahforweis, m'esthilim. That's good in general advice. And it's always important, but especially when we need God's compassion. So what we've seen until now, is our Vahshirweis' introduction. And then his focus on three different points that we should all work on to mahazak ourselves, which hopefully merit us for victory. Number one was, working on our amuna, despite the obvious and admitted challenge. Number two is, working on octos, and number three, emphasizing and deepening and improving our Tila. M'esthilim, we will pick up with the second shear, and we will continue starting from Os Dalad here, and we'll do another third or so of the essay. And then we'll have a final shear, but we'll conclude it.
