Detailed Dreams of Malchut Hashem and Ahavat Yisrael (Auto Translated) | תמלול וסיכום מתורגם

Repentance, Yom Kippur, and the Essence of Man: A Lecture on Rambam’s Laws of Repentance and Eight Chapters

Introduction: The Eve of the Eve of Yom Kippur and the Structure of Repentance

Maggid Shiur (Lecturer):

Okay, gentlemen, gentlemen. Today is the eve of the eve of the holy day, the eve of the eve… of what? The Thirteen Attributes of Mercy. According to certain versions, in the selichos (penitential prayers) it says tomorrow. Those who say it today have switched the yotzros (liturgical poems), because they want it to be Thursday.

Anyway, so we have here a lecture on the Eight Chapters of the Rambam (Maimonides), which since there are only eight, one can learn one chapter a day from the night after Rosh Hashanah until Yom Kippur. He doesn’t count Rosh Hashanah itself. Eight, there are eight chapters, Eight Chapters, with the introduction perhaps nine.

And Hilchos Teshuvah (Laws of Repentance) the Rambam wrote in ten chapters, so that one could learn one chapter each day from Rosh Hashanah. The intention, the Rambam calculated when he wrote…

Student:

What?

Maggid Shiur:

Very good, because at the end of the Ten Days of Repentance one already reaches the level where one begins to speak about Olam Haba (the World to Come). Before that it begins with bechira (free will), yes. It begins with free will, and it arrives at the World to Come.

The Structure of Hilchos Teshuvah: From Commandment to Principles

So Hilchos Teshuvah, this is not a lecture on Hilchos Teshuvah, but the structure of Hilchos Teshuvah is that it begins with Hilchos Teshuvah, the commandment of repentance, the first two chapters. The next two chapters speak somewhat more broadly about the commandment of repentance, and also the topic of the Ten Days of Repentance, and so forth, the entire topic of judgment, and chapter three, chapter four discusses things that prevent repentance.

And afterwards from chapter five the Rambam broadens out. The Rambam says in the introduction, in the header of Hilchos Teshuvah it states that it is an explanation of the commandment of repentance, “and the fundamental principles that are drawn along with it in its greatness,” the principles, the essential matters that come together with repentance.

The Broader Meaning of Repentance

In other words, the Rambam understood that repentance has, that there is a commandment in a narrow sense, that one must do repentance, say vidui (confession), it has laws. He gathered together all the laws that exist, on Yom Kippur one must say vidui, the Ten Days of Repentance, all the laws and customs that exist, just as with every commandment he gathered together all the laws and customs that relate to that commandment, in one place, from the time of the halachic decisors—there weren’t decisors, he was the decisor—but from the time of and so forth, the words of our Sages and verses.

And afterwards the Rambam understood that there is a broader meaning of repentance, that the broader meaning of repentance is more or less the subject of the Eight Chapters. That is, the Eight Chapters discusses, all the subjects that appear in the second half of Hilchos Teshuvah appear in the Eight Chapters.

Actually, not all of them, the very end appears in the introduction to the Commentary on the Mishna of tractate Sanhedrin. But all of them are things that he repeats. There are almost no novel insights, but there are no subjects that he says there anew that don’t appear in the two main places in the Commentary on the Mishna, where he states his fundamental principles of belief which is in Sanhedrin and in Avos (tractate Avos). It’s a continuation, I’m speaking of Avos which comes after Sanhedrin, it’s all in the order of Nezikin.

Repentance as a Process of Human Elevation

The reason is because the Rambam viewed repentance in the broadest sense and the Rambam is the source, one of the great sources that repentance is a broader thing, not just the commandment of repentance, but more the thing that is the process of elevation of a person, of an adam (human being), how he goes from not being a penitent, being a… the word sinner is not the right word, that one hasn’t come to commit sins, but a person isn’t born a complete person, and gradually he must do repentance.

So first one must know that one can, this is free will. So the Rambam explains, since, because I say that one has free will, one must do repentance, so says the Rambam, he explains in chapter six or seven. He says, he explicitly connects it, and afterwards he shows what is the goal, what is the purpose of all of Hilchos Teshuvah, that is the purpose of a person’s life.

So this is in great breadth the purpose of repentance, what repentance means—to become a person. And why must one become a person? He explains, the principles of reward and punishment, but he explains that the purpose of being a person is the World to Come, and if so one must understand why the Torah has reward in this world, the whole discussion, this is the last three chapters of Hilchos Teshuvah, and he explains the principles of reward and punishment.

So in this sense yes the limit is the Ten Days of Repentance, but it’s much broader than the laws of repentance, so truly repentance is much broader than the commandment of repentance, as everyone already knows. This is why it is indeed connected.

Yom Kippur as the World to Come

And the hint, I said here, the hint of this matter is that one sees, everyone knows, we will speak about this another way, God willing today, if we can, everyone knows that Yom Kippur is like the World to Come, as it states commonly. “The World to Come has no eating, drinking, procreation, jealousy, or competition, but rather the righteous sit with their crowns on their heads and enjoy the radiance of the Divine Presence.” Yes, and may it be so forever, so it always goes, it’s in the siddur (prayer book).

And Yom Kippur is such a day that one conducts oneself this way, because just as it is a day without eating and drinking and other physical pleasures, there is also no jealousy and competition, hopefully, as it states in the siddur “a day of abandoning jealousy and competition,” it states in the liturgical poem after the Temple service.

The Liturgical Poems of Yom Kippur

It’s a very beautiful poem, the most beautiful poems of Yom Kippur are very simple poems, but very, I don’t know what to say, very simple poems at the end of the Temple service order there is a long list of such simple poems that everyone understands, and there it states “Grant us, Lord our God, a day of pardon and forgiveness, a day of abandoning hatred and competition, a day of gathering love and friendship.” I hold that this is the essential intention of Yom Kippur.

So this is like the World to Come. What does one do on Yom Kippur? One contemplates the greatness of God. This is what one must do. So a day without eating and drinking, but the righteous sit and enjoy the radiance of the Divine Presence. About this one says the Song of Unity with Aderes V’Emunah.

Yes, the Maharil (Rabbi Yaakov Moelin, 14th-15th century) said one may not say Aderes V’Emunah the whole year except Yom Kippur. It states in the siddur, yes, at morning prayers one says it, because this appears in the chapters of the Heavenly Palaces, this is what the angels say before the Almighty, and it’s the whole year, you’re an angel, who are you? There is an answer, and especially one says it before the blessing “Blessed is He who spoke” on Shabbos when pressed for time, but truly one may only say it on the holy day.

And so are many more praises that one says, most of the order, there are selichos of Yom Kippur, but most of the liturgical poems of the Amidah prayer and so forth, is plainly the greatness of God, plain contemplation of God’s greatness.

There is the poem Keter Malchus (Crown of Kingship) by Rabbi Shlomo ibn Gabirol (11th century Spanish Jewish philosopher and poet), a very beautiful poem, according to the philosophical approach, the greatness of God. It ends with a confession, it’s truly a poem for Yom Kippur, it’s a very long poem, so therefore one says it early on Yom Kippur or at night, because this is Yom Kippur, Yom Kippur is the World to Come.

This is the simple meaning, it’s also according to Kabbalah so. And with this the tenth chapter of Hilchos Teshuvah which is directed toward Yom Kippur, discusses the World to Come.

The Eve of Yom Kippur: Preparation for the World to Come

Because the World to Come requires much preparation, one must see how the Rambam explains in chapter nine. That the Torah indeed says yes to reward in this world, one must understand why, and the Rambam explains that it’s a preparation so that you should arrive at the World to Come, chapter nine, and this is the secret of the eve of Yom Kippur, “Whoever eats and drinks on the ninth, Scripture considers it as if he fasted on both the ninth and tenth.”

In the broad sense it means, that one who eats and drinks so for the sake of Heaven, as it states in Hilchos De’os (Laws of Character Traits) chapter one, and in Hilchos De’os chapter four, or five, I don’t remember anymore, then all his deeds are for the sake of Heaven, from this the Torah is explicitly stated, what we speak about regarding Rosh Hashanah, in a certain sense, the reward and punishment in this world, which is worthwhile that one should prepare just as on the eve of Yom Kippur one eats so that one can fast on Yom Kippur, so one eats one’s whole life. This is the meaning.

And about this, the last two chapters in Hilchos Teshuvah are ultimately directed toward the eve of Yom Kippur and Yom Kippur. So it’s truly a clear proof that this is a book that one must learn from Rosh Hashanah until Yom Kippur every year, ten chapters. It already states in Chassidic books, this was since the middle of the month, it’s corresponding one to the other. And now one also understands why.

The Eight Chapters is not directed in this way, but it’s still all the same subjects more or less. Right? So therefore, our lecture is a whole year on repentance, so one doesn’t need to give a lecture today on repentance, but one must do repentance.

The Essence of Man: Contemplation and Free Will

So we learned on Saturday night selichos that repentance, that Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, everything has to do with what we learned. That if one understands what a person is, from reality, as the Rambam says regarding the blowing of the shofar, “examine your souls,” if a person looks at what he is, what such a thing is the essence of man, the human soul, from this one understands that human perfection is what he can be, what a person must be.

Man as a Political Being by Nature

And a person, a person one must know a great principle in Torah, a person is not an individual, as the Rambam quotes from Aristotle, “man is by nature a political being,” a person just as it even states in the Torah, “and He called their name Adam,” Adam is a name for the human species, and for the adam man and woman, a person alone is called half a person, whatever a person is, broadly regarding the entire society, regarding the entire world, a person is not an adam, a person is such a sort of thing that he does with other people.

And therefore repentance, and what we said that we must contemplate what a person is, is very important, because we are not sufficiently accustomed to this thinking and this dreaming and this doing, is to contemplate what is this human species.

The Virtue of Speech and Communication

What does one need, people, one of the essential virtues of the human species, the person is a speaker, he can communicate through speech, which has intellect in it. Symbolic language it’s called in English, symbolic communication, not communication I’m hungry, but communication I’m speaking about a thing, and this is what enables, makes possible for people to build humanity, not just people, but humanity. It opens up much more.

The reason, yes, as it said before, every animal, many animals, people hold or people… yes, whatever, people are lost that certain things that are not people are stronger than people, but it’s always been so. You know, almost every animal, not every animal, but very many animals are stronger than people, each one in its way.

A donkey can carry much more than a person, and a horse can run much faster than a person. All the more so, a lion and a zebra, and all animals are faster, and a snake can poison better than a person. In short, almost every animal, even a mosquito can sting better than a person. Okay? You’re a stinger? A mosquito can sting better than you. Not a great, one doesn’t hold with a great stinger. Every insect still, it can sting much better.

Every animal in a particular way, in its virtue, in its specialty, it is better than a person. But not every, what? Obviously. Every thing, certainly, every tool that a person makes, “a human being of flesh and blood—the works of his hands glorify him.” A person makes a thing, and it’s stronger than him, it lives longer.

The Virtue of Humans: Coordination and Cooperation

Why Humans Are Not Physically Stronger

People are lost that certain things that are not people are stronger than people, but it’s always been so. You know, almost every animal, not every animal, but very many animals are stronger than people, each one in its way. A donkey can carry much more than a person, and a horse can run much faster than a person. Kal vachomer (a fortiori, all the more so), a lion and a zebra and all animals are faster, and a snake can poison better than a person. Bekitzur (in short), almost every animal, even a mosquito can sting better than a person.

Okay? You’re a great stinger? It turns out, it can sting better than you. Not a great… one doesn’t hold until his great stinger. Every insect still, it can sting much better. Every animal be’ofen prati (in a particular way), in its ma’alah (advantage, virtue), in its specialty, it is better than a person. But not every.

Student: What?

Maggid Shiur: Obviously. Every thing, certainly, every kli (tool, vessel) that a person makes, “a human being of flesh and blood, the works of his hands frighten him,” a person makes a thing and it’s stronger than him, it lives longer than him, it’s very many things, a person can make a building that should stand a thousand years, and he can make a machine that should travel, and so forth. This is never interesting, it was never interesting.

The True Virtue of Humans: Speech and Coordination

The virtue of or one of the things of a person, or the essential thing, what do the scholars of evolution ask and so forth, what is the great thing that man has succeeded at? Why is man lema’aseh (in practice) successful? It’s interesting, yes? People are lema’aseh successful at running the world, not the behemos (animals), not the chayos (wild animals), not the elephants, and not the whales, and not the squids, and not all the chevrah (group, bunch). Each one runs its malchus (kingdom).

Because a person has such a special thing called dibur (speech). People can coordinate with other people. If one person, as it states especially in Maseches Ta’anis (Tractate Ta’anis), how does one know that an animal is meshulachas (sent by Heaven)? An animal is a situation that they sent not with animals? If it’s running not from two people. From one person it never is.

Peace as a Prerequisite for Spirituality and the Obligation to Speak with Every Jew

Peace: The Foundational Condition for All Levels

When an animal encounters a person, usually the animal will win. Almost any animal, perhaps a dog, a strong dog can also defeat a person. But two people… that’s already a different story. Three people, ten people. People only defeat animals.

Clearly the way that people conquered, “redu va’aretz urevu” [subdue the earth and multiply], as it says in the verse, “peru urevu uredu va’aretz vechiv’shuha” [be fruitful and multiply and subdue the earth and conquer it]. It’s having many children. One person, Adam HaRishon [the first man, Adam] was dangerous, he needed special shemirah [protection], his Gan Eden [the Garden of Eden], so that the animals wouldn’t eat him.

Kayin [Cain] was frightened, “hoy kol motz’i yahargeini” [woe, anyone who finds me will kill me]. One person. So he built a city, “peru urevu umil’u es ha’aretz vechiv’shuha” [be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and conquer it], then man is rodeh [ruling] over the animals, because he builds infrastructure.

Student: What? In the story of Adam HaRishon there was only one person. What was it? You’re bringing a kushya [question, difficulty] on Kayin?

Maggid Shiur: Yes, that’s the story. It comes out that one person is in great danger. One person cannot protect himself even against a snake, okay? But a thousand people can. Sometimes a snake catches a person, it happens, “ve’ish panav yakirenu” [and a man will recognize his face], okay, but normally a person can build a chomah [wall], he builds a city, he builds a hospital, so that even when the snake comes, he heals it.

The Power of Hischab’rus

People, the virtue of people is, they can love each other, loving is a great madreigah [level, spiritual level], but coordinating with other people. Working together with other people. That’s everything that builds humanity. That’s the ma’alos ha’adam [the virtues of man], or one of the main ma’alos ha’adam is the hischab’rus [connection, bonding] that a person can have.

Certainly there are animals, there are animals and beasts that also work together, but it’s shelo be’erech [incomparably]. The level at which a person works together with other people, even the best, most complicated socials, socials, socials, even a monkey, is bichlal [at all] not the level of a person. And we’re talking about how much more so people always.

That’s the sod [secret, mystery] of ahavas ha’adam [love of humanity], ahavas Yisrael [love of fellow Jews], ahavas… This is shalom [peace], yes? That’s what shalom means, people can have shalom. Shalom doesn’t mean that you don’t fight, shalom means that you work together. That’s the virtue of a person.

Because of this, “kol zman she’atem beshalom” [as long as you are at peace], you don’t have moreh [fear] from any animal or wild beast, from any other species, all kinds of klipos [husks, forces of evil], because you can work together. If someone imagines that the animals will gather together one day and go against people, well well, until then they won’t. If one person can send an animal against another person, yes, that’s always been a problem. No, you don’t need to fear people.

Rambam’s Explanation of Shedim: People Without Seichel

The holy Rambam [Maimonides] says, okay, this isn’t the shiur now, but the holy Rambam says that the nimshal [the analogue, the lesson] of shedim [demons] are people, because the Rambam is masbir [explains] that in chapter seven of Shemonah Perakim [Eight Chapters], the Rambam is masbir that an animal isn’t such a problem, it doesn’t have any seichel [intellect]. It’s easy for a person to outsmart an animal. It’s not easy to netzach [defeat] it, but it’s easy to outsmart it.

How do you catch an animal? You know, the animal always goes into the trap, or almost always. If it learns the trick, you make a second one and catch it. Very predictable, very stupid relative to a person. Meimeilah [consequently], when a person deals with animals and machines, there’s always a way out. Almost, usually, the normal teva [nature] is that a person will find it.

But when a person touches another person, then there’s tzoros [troubles]. The second people, we spoke about this from the Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh [the holy commentary Ohr HaChaim], about Yosef HaTzaddik [Joseph the Righteous] with his brothers, and so on. Ba’alei bechirah [possessors of free will] people, not just ba’alei bechirah, what we’re now speaking about more deeply, ba’alei seichel [possessors of intellect], who can use their same koach enoshi [human power], is much more dangerous.

The Rambam says that’s what a shed [demon] means. It says in the Gemara [the Talmud] that Adam HaRishon was molid shedim veruachos [fathered demons and spirits], “vayoled bidmuso ketzalmo” [and he fathered in his likeness and image], Sheis [Seth] was bidmuso ketzalmo. Until then, says the Gemara, it’s mashpir [explains], there were children of Adam HaRishon, but not bidmuso ketzalmo.

Says the Rambam, yes, they were people, but they didn’t have any seichel, they didn’t know how to use their seichel. They did have seichel, but the problem is that he doesn’t have any seichel. He knows how to plan an attack, he knows how to use a bomb vechadoimeh [and the like], but he doesn’t know how to use good, he doesn’t have any seichel, no tzelem [image] and no demus [likeness]. That person is much more dangerous.

The Necessity of Bein Adam Lachaveiro

So if a person, and certainly if that person has various tools that he can operate with his seichel, and he doesn’t have any seichel how to operate it, and he doesn’t have any seichel how to operate it not against another person, vechadoimeh, that’s a great danger, therefore one must make the main avodah [work, service] of bein adam lachaveiro [between man and his fellow], of being moichel [forgiving] one another, loving each other, and making simas shalom ve’ahavah ve’achavah [establishing peace and love and brotherhood], because the main virtue of an adam is that he can have ahavah ve’achavah [love and brotherhood], then he can be a person. That’s a very strange important thing.

Yes, the main virtue of a person, what we said, the main virtue of a person. That means loving. The feeling of loving isn’t so important. That’s the first thing. Yes, not being nice to everyone. Being nice is nothing. Working together with everyone. Collaborating. Building things together with other people. It’s much more important than loving each other. Or first more important.

Student: Yes, why? We spoke about this. “Kedei sheyomar bishvili nivra ha’olam” [so that he should say “for my sake the world was created”]. So that he should grasp…

Maggid Shiur: No, it’s “lo tov heyos ha’adam levado” [it is not good for man to be alone].

Student: What is the verse “lo tov heyos ha’adam levado”?

Maggid Shiur: The Gemara says that it’s the opposite, he should be nivra yechidi [be created alone] so that he should understand that the whole world rests on him, because there is indeed a problem, and the other side, when a person lives ritzasa [in a crowd], so many people, everyone thinks a person, so it goes there’s a beis hamidrash [study hall], you need to have the whole olam [world], all these ten thousand people you need to have for the beis hamidrash. Think that the nine hundred thousand people there think, we need to be created, I’ll leave, and it goes on further.

He says no. You must grasp that adam nivra yechidi. You’re needed. Be’emes [in truth] it is that indeed you’re needed, not lema’alah mimkoimcha [above your place], the way you do, the way you do is how you’re needed. Therefore adam nivra yechidi. But the world doesn’t operate from yechidim [individuals], the world operates from many people together. That’s the most important thing.

Adam Nivra Yechidi: The Paradox of Individuality

And in truth the whole virtue of the person is only when there’s another one. Yes. Person, because person doesn’t mean one person. The nivra adam yechidi means that Adam HaRishon kollel [included] all other people, as we learn in the mekubalim [Kabbalists]. Adam HaRishon, when you say Adam HaRishon, you mean the one adam who includes all other people.

A person who is a real person, he includes, he knows how to deal with all other people, he knows how to include all other people in his pe’ulos [actions]. But a person when he’s completely alone, then he’s exactly lo tov heyos ha’adam levado, and then he loses everything.

What do I mean? An individual is worth nothing. An individual who takes care of everyone is worth something. Then he’s not an individual, he thinks of another person too.

Even Thinking Cannot Be Done Alone

Even thinking cannot be thought alone. It’s one of the great things, right? Even Moshe Rabbeinu [Moses our teacher] says Rashi [the classic Torah commentator], “da’as shebish’vil Yisrael nisbarech” [knowledge that was blessed for the sake of Israel]. They say that Moshe Rabbeinu was the mivchar min ha’enoshi [the choicest of humanity], there’s no such thing as Moshe Rabbeinu. Moshe Rabbeinu is the peak.

You know the story of the Kotzker Rebbe who asked why it says “velo kam navi od beYisrael keMoshe” [and there did not arise another prophet in Israel like Moses], and among umos ha’olam [the nations of the world] there arose, and you only ask about Bilam [Balaam], and what was Bilam? A rasha [wicked person], a ba’al aveirah [transgressor], a sonei [enemy], a curser, and so on. He asks, what’s the story? The Rebbe of Kotzk said that this is the secret of sour cream. He closed the door.

And the chassidim [Hasidic followers] were masbir that the Rebbe meant to say like this: if there’s good milk, the cream from the top of the milk, which is the peak piece of milk, that’s tasty. If there’s sour milk, the sour cream is doubly sour. So when the Jews have a rebbe, their rebbe is Moshe Rabbeinu, and when the gentiles have a rebbe, their rebbe is Bilam. It’s not talui [dependent] only on the rebbes, it’s talui on the chassidim too, on the talmidim [students], on the whole society.

Moshe eved Hashem al pi Hashem [Moses servant of God by the word of God].

Student: What? Because we’re talking about dying.

Maggid Shiur: No, you don’t die alone. When you die you’re… Okay. That’s a kushya. One minute, I’ll speak about this, if I’ll get to it. First we need to speak about what’s more important. The olam doesn’t know enough yet.

First, the main thing is that you must be able to collaborate. That’s why Adam HaRishon was created, so that. That’s the whole mishpachah [family]. Whoever learns Kabbalah [Jewish mysticism] of Rosh Hashanah [the Jewish New Year], you must be able to connect with Chavah [Eve]. If not it’s terrible. I beg you one thinks himself, then it’s shedim velilim [demons and night spirits], and people need to use their seichel for this together. This is very important.

If you work together without seichel, everyone thinks that fools can collaborate easily, because they’re not people. First you need to be a person. Only when they’re shedim, people who are a bit clever and they don’t hold with work, they’re shedim, they can only make churban [destruction]. Always he has criticism, always he can break things, he can’t build anything.

And a person can do such a thing, a good person, such a thing that he can have seichel, and because a person has seichel he can indeed build much more than a person who doesn’t have any seichel. But the only way a person can build is if he learns how to do this with other people. And it’s very hard, it’s a great nisayon [test, trial].

The Churban Bayis Sheini: The Practical Conclusion

On this it says in the Gemara that Bayis Sheini [the Second Temple] was destroyed only because of sinas chinam [baseless hatred]. And I already know the peshat [simple meaning] that we’re taught about this, right? That what? It’s indeed certainly very nice and good that one should have correct dei’os [opinions, beliefs], and know about the Almighty, and not serve avodah zarah [idolatry], and not do gilui arayos [sexual immorality].

Let’s call it with another bundle, spiritual things, what the Rambam calls shleimus hasheniyah [the second perfection], the shleimus hanefesh [perfection of the soul], the Olam Haba [the World to Come], a part of the perfection of Olam Haba, which is all understandably important. Without this it’s not important, it’s much more important than shleimus ha’olam hazeh [perfection of this world], shleimus haguf [perfection of the body], what the Rambam calls shleimus haguf.

But… they indeed learned, “mi shetarach be’erev Shabbos ochel beShabbos” [one who toils on Friday eats on Shabbos], whoever doesn’t eat erev Yom Kippur [the eve of Yom Kippur] cannot fast Yom Kippur [the Day of Atonement]. So if you don’t have any shalom, kivsha’as peshitus [in simple terms], political peace, to be able to collaborate with other people.

Peace as a Prerequisite for Spirituality and the Obligation to Speak with Every Jew

Peace: The Foundational Condition for All Levels

Without this there’s nothing, it’s much more important than shleimus ha’olam hazeh, shleimus haguf, what the Rambam calls shleimus haguf. But we indeed learned, whoever toils on Erev Shabbos will eat on Shabbos. Whoever doesn’t eat on Erev Yom Kippur cannot fast on Yom Kippur.

So, if you don’t have any shalom, literally, political peace, to be able to collaborate with other people, you can be as great a tzaddik, and often the greater a tzaddik you are, and the greater a chacham you are, the harder it is for you to collaborate with other people. Because what is this? If that one is according to me a slight heretic, I can’t speak with him, it will be destroyed. Although I’m not allowed to collaborate with heretics, well problem. First you need to learn to collaborate with every person, then you don’t need to be a heretic. It’s step two.

The Baal Shem Tov’s Answer: Why Sinas Chinam Makes a Greater Destruction

No, no, the explanation is found in the Shem Tov on the Moreh Nevuchim [Guide for the Perplexed], he explains, he answers the contradiction. Seemingly, it’s a much greater sin to be an idol worshipper than to not have peace, it’s only rabbinic. What is peace anyway? Just a custom? I don’t know if it’s biblical, rabbinic, I don’t know what it is. Okay, it is biblical, but it’s not such a serious matter. It doesn’t say in the Torah that one will be destroyed if they don’t love each other. It says that if one worships idols they will be destroyed. So how can it be that the lesser sin causes a greater destruction?

And the proof, the Gemara says, yes? There was a lesser destruction, right? “Tanu einechem babirah” [look at the Temple]. The destruction of the First Temple where they were only idol worshippers, they recovered, a small exile they recovered. “Doro shel Achav hayu yotzim lamilchama venotzchim” [the generation of Achav would go out to war and be victorious], yes? That’s an even sharper idea of the same idea. And by the Second Temple it’s a lesser sin, just a human sin, not a divine sin, not a total sin, not a World to Come sin, a physical sin. A gentile also may not hate another gentile, he has the same problem. And nevertheless it’s a much greater problem. So he explains, because it’s a condition, the prerequisite to being able to have a society where one thinks of God is first that one should be able to love each other, if not there are no people, they die, they lose the war, there are troubles. So that’s the first thing.

The Netziv’s Innovation: Holiness as the Cause of Baseless Hatred

And about this, on the contrary, it can be that specifically because – this is what the Netziv [Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin] says as is known – that specifically because they didn’t have idol worship, it was harder for them to work together with each other. Everyone held that the other was a heretic, and the other was a sinner, the other was a Karaite, the other was a Sadducee, etc. etc. It’s sinat chinam [baseless hatred]. And they didn’t speak, in short, it’s a very tragic thing that happened to the Jews. And specifically because they were holier in the World to Come aspect, they were harder to work with each other in the This World aspect. And through this This World, this is a condition for that even if it’s not more important.

A Condition Is Not the Same as Importance

Not everything that is a condition for something else means it’s more important, right? It can be that without this the second can’t exist, but the second is actually more important. On the contrary, many things work that way, yes? Without the body the soul can’t exist. It doesn’t mean the body is more important than the soul, but it does mean that the soul is dependent on the body, because the body is dependent on the soul in the order of existence and the order of time of this world. That’s why Erev Yom Kippur is before Yom Kippur. That’s the first thing, okay? Very important.

The Practical Necessity: Working Together with Intelligence

Why am I talking about this? This is very important. One must be able to simply build, not just one can even build with intelligence, it’s certainly a great thing, true? Imagine, what would be said, imagine if one had the creative power, the building power of a person’s intelligence, not of just a fool, and one could work together with another person as well. Imagine what things would be like. We have a real problem, that the smarter a person is, the less, the more alone he becomes. No one understands him, and he’s smarter, and he knows better, and he says criticism. But the problem is, you’re smart, you say criticism, you explain so that people will go with you. You can’t. In short, you’re not such a wise person. This one must learn. Ah, this is practical, halacha l’maaseh.

How One Does Teshuva

How does one do teshuva? One always does teshuva this way. One goes to learn how to speak with other people. I hope, this is the meaning of speaking with other people.

The Parable of Ten Jews in Las Vegas: Being Silent Together Is Not Enough

Just to be quiet, no one says anything. If ten people have a beit midrash, let’s say it’s a place where they need to gather with a minyan in Las Vegas. So ten Jews, I don’t know, yes, ten Jews in Las Vegas can pray, no difference, small kippot, large kippot, blue kippot, green kippot, all come together to the same minyan, and he doesn’t establish any dispute, can say without “v’yatzmach purkanei,” with “v’yatzmach purkanei,” it makes no difference, no one leaves, they pray and go on to what they had to do. Yes, but these ten Jews… He says Kaddish. It comes to the second Kaddish, he wanted to say “v’yatzmach purkanei.” He says, “David, dear, go alone.” He comes to say Kaddish, what do you want from this?

Bechinat Beheima: The Lowest Common Denominator

These ten Jews, in this situation, they can’t speak to each other. Otherwise, they can’t pray with kavana. Let’s say better, right? They can’t pray in a sense that each one should rely on the other’s prayer, that each one should mean what he has in mind, what his God is, what his understanding is that he has in Torah, in Judaism, should work. He can’t speak to each other, he can pray at the lowest common denominator. We’re all Jews, and they all believe that one must pray Mincha every day. That much, but it’s in silence, it’s bechinat beheima, it’s bechinat “adam u’veheima toshia Hashem” [man and beast You save, Hashem]. The Almighty loves such animals very much, but it’s still an animal, understand? He can’t speak.

If that one would say what he truly thinks when praying, right? Everyone would say that that one is an idol worshipper, properly, right? It must be so, because he’s Hasidic, he understands God this way, he’s modern, he understands God that way. They can’t truly pray to the same God. And the proof is, when there’s a city, they start to speak, immediately it splits into four batei midrash, right? We can’t speak together, we can’t be silent together.

People Are Medabrim: The Obligation to Speak

This teaches us what? That a person is a medaber [speaking being], and medaber means that he must be able to speak with other people, speak with them, not work together because we don’t speak, because we say we don’t speak about politics and religion, because those are the things that cause fights. But politics and religion are what make people human, right? You want to say, what can one talk about? About the weather and the children, that one can talk about with everyone, because it’s narrow and not scary, but those aren’t human things. Animals also have weather. I mean, I don’t know if they talk about the weather, but weather is still relevant to animals too, right? But the things that are relevant to people… Okay, I don’t mean what one talks about the weather. But less. Weather. West? Well, that’s already politics. It’s already politics. There are places.

In short, if because one can’t speak, one can be a friend in bechinat beheima. But how can one be a friend in bechinat adam, in the bar da’at, the knowledge of a person, and work together? This is, there must be some way, there must be some way one should be able to work together. It’s very sad that the Jews haven’t yet figured out this way since the time of the destruction of the First Temple, right? We haven’t yet figured out the way to speak with another Jew, and with God’s help we should work on this. Agreed? To work on this?

The Practical Conclusion: Lilmod U’Lelamed – The Obligation to Speak with Every Jew

What is the attempt to speak with a Skverer, or I don’t know what, who holds that he’s not as smart as you? Well, certainly, every Jew is obligated lilmod u’lelamed [to learn and to teach]. What does lilmod u’lelamed mean? It means this, I’ll say it, I’ll say the answer, but don’t take it the wrong way. I’m speaking now as you know, we spoke at Selichot, that we’re speaking about dreams, how the world should be, and I’m speaking specifically about the problems that we have.

The Obligation of “V’Dibarta Bam”

First of all, everyone is obligated lilmod u’lelamed, okay? So it says “v’dibarta bam” [and you shall speak of them]. “Lilmod u’lelamed” doesn’t appear in that verse, but it says the same thing, right? You learn from your rabbi, and you teach your children. “V’dibarta bam b’shivtecha b’veitecha u’velechtecha baderech u’veshochbecha u’vekumecha” [and you shall speak of them when you sit in your house, when you walk on the road, when you lie down and when you rise]. I want to say, it’s two, three, four, I don’t know how many times a day in Kriat Shema, or twice a day for those who follow Rabbeinu Tam. What does this mean? It means this, if you meet someone, or in the sense that you meet, every time one meets another Jew, one must tell him a davar Torah [a word of Torah].

“Shnayim she’yoshvim v’ein beineihem divrei Torah” [two who sit together without words of Torah between them], so what? “Shnayim she’yoshvim v’ein beineihem divrei Torah,” then “harei zeh moshav leitzim” [this is a gathering of scoffers]. Two Jews meet and they don’t speak words of Torah, it’s shameful. How can it be that two Jews can meet, and you can’t say to the other a Jewish word? Right? One can talk about the news, about the weather, perhaps, but not about a davar Torah.

What Does “Davar Torah” Mean?

Everyone has already learned enough Torah to speak with another. Everyone. I don’t know anyone who can’t. But what? You think that a davar Torah is perfectly presented, and one says, “it says in the verse.” Don’t say “it says in the verse,” say the idea that you think. Tell your truth. Ah, you can’t? Very good, about this we’ll talk more. So, I have the same problem. I’m talking about things I haven’t solved, I’m talking about things I haven’t solved, because during the Ten Days of Repentance I spoke about things I haven’t solved.

How One Teaches: Chanoch La’Naar Al Pi Darko

So, in the Torah it says “v’dibarta bam,” “lilmod u’lelamed.” What does “lilmod u’lelamed” mean? It means, if you meet someone who knows something more than you, who understands something different from you, you must hear from him that he should teach you. If you meet someone who you say is dumber than you, your job is to teach him. How does one teach? Like “chanoch la’naar al pi darko” [educate the youth according to his way], aviv melamdo [his father teaches him]. You won’t teach that one something that he won’t be able to take at all, but you must teach something. It’s an obligation, it’s a biblical obligation. One meets a Jew, if he’s smarter than you, there’s an obligation to hear something from him. If he’s more foolish than you, there’s an obligation to teach him something. One must be a bit more missionary here. Obligated.

Not to Fight – To Learn According to His Understanding

One must respect everyone, one can’t force things in. To fight, to argue is not teaching, not if one doesn’t fulfill. If one shouldn’t be mistaken, I say, although it’s also, I hold very strongly, the holy Raavad [Rabbi Avraham ben David] always argued, and we are great admirers of the “amar Avraham” [said Avraham – the Raavad’s critical glosses], but that’s in the beit midrash, for the people who can tolerate it. But in the street, in general, in the beit midrash I mean at the shiur, in the beit midrash where it’s not the beit midrash, one can’t do that.

So, if people say, I mean to say that one should speak with everyone. And one hasn’t fought with him about Zionism, one certainly won’t get anywhere, it will make the fight bigger. One must teach him. What does teaching mean? Like a teacher. Like one who is a teacher for three-year-old children, one teaches kamatz alef ah. That one doesn’t know even basic things. One teaches him. How does one teach him? According to his understanding, according to his knowledge, according to his ability. But one must teach something, I am obligated.

“Lo Rechoka Hi” – It’s Not So Difficult

It’s not so complicated. It’s very simple, it’s a biblical commandment, it’s also a good thing. That’s the thing.

It can be, it’s not… It’s lo rechoka hi [it is not distant], as we learned. “Ki hamitzvah hazot… lo niflet hi mimcha v’lo rechoka hi” [for this commandment… it is not hidden from you and it is not distant]. If it’s hard for you, what does hard for you mean? You’re telling yourself a big plan. What meanwhile I see that everyone is obligated to vote for their foolish party, and one may not speak at all with the one who votes for the other party, and the like? The verse tells you, “karov eilecha hadavar me’od b’ficha u’vilvavcha la’asoto” [the matter is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to do it]. Speak with your mouth. Yes, you have a mouth, you can speak with him. Who’s not letting you speak with him? He hasn’t spoken with you yet? Go speak with him.

Questions and Discussion

Student: Everyone who speaks for another, there are many people who don’t speak. Moshe Rabbeinu wanted to speak only to Jews, and he went earlier to give sermons to them.

Speaker: Ah, I have another sermon.

Every Jew Must Have a Plan for the Entire World

The Person as a “Davar Klali” – Not an Individual Thing

“Karov Eilecha Hadavar Me’od” – One Can and Must Speak

Maggid Shiur:

You’re telling yourself a big plan, because I see that everyone is obligated to vote for their foolish party, and one may not speak at all with the one who votes for the other party and the like. The verse tells you, “karov eilecha hadavar me’od b’ficha u’vilvavcha la’asoto” [“the matter is very close to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to do it” – Deuteronomy 30:14]. Speak with your mouth. Yes, there is a mouth, you can speak with him. Who’s not letting you speak with him? He hasn’t spoken with you yet? You can speak with him.

Everyone who speaks about others, there are many people who don’t speak. Moshe Rabbeinu, I want to speak only to Jews, and I went to give sermons about this. Ah, I have another sermon about this. Yes, okay. I’m talking about whom one speaks to, about them. So, one can know about this. I’ll tell you this. Let me tell you about this. Okay, what did I think? So, it goes like this. I think it goes like this.

A person, as we spoke, a person is such a kind of thing that speaks, and he speaks with other people. If by the way, people who have feelings, they have beliefs, they have opinions, they have thoughts, they have Torah teachings, that they feel and they have no one to tell it to, they cease being people, they go crazy. It’s tested and proven, one goes crazy from this, and all kinds of illnesses and insanities come out from this. So one must speak.

The Person Is a “Davar Klali” – He Belongs to Humanity

But what? A person is also such a thing, as we spoke, a person is not a davar yachid, he’s not an individual thing. As long as one thinks that one is an individual thing, I think that’s still in the smallness, one is a baby, one doesn’t grasp. There’s no such thing. Every person is a klal. Perhaps not everyone has the same level of klal, perhaps not everyone has the same level of influence. But a person is a davar klali, a person belongs to humanity. Okay? Now.

The Person Is Drawn to His Ideals – He Cannot Function Without a Goal

This means, as we’ve learned many times, or not enough times, that a person is such a kind of thing, who is drawn to his dreams, to his ideals, naturally, not miraculously, not that one must overcome oneself, but automatically, normally. And not only that, but a person cannot do anything without having a goal in mind, without having an ideal.

There’s an inquiry whether nature can function without an ideal, and they certainly hold that nature also works with ideals. But such people are completely different, even those who don’t hold like the Rambam [Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, Maimonides], like Aristotle, that even a tree cannot grow without knowing what a complete tree looks like. But without having there should be an end, a goal in mind. A person is according to everyone, he cannot do anything without having the ideal in mind. Agreed? Clear matter? Very good.

Praying for Mashiach Without a Clear Dream Is a Fantasy

The Problem: One Has No Idea What the Dream Looks Like

Therefore, if a person, this is a big problem. For example, if we’re speaking in particular terms, if we’re speaking in general terms, I’ll start with the general. If a person says that he davens (prays) that Moshiach should come, he says Shemoneh Esrei (the Eighteen Benedictions), Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, “u’mal’ah ha’aretz dei’ah es Hashem” [“and the earth will be full of knowledge of Hashem” – Isaiah 11:9] etc., our beautiful words, it’s perfect, it’s grand, it’s very beautiful. But he has no idea what the dream looks like. I don’t even know if he’s yotzei (fulfills the obligation) with his tefillah (prayer). Maybe the tefillos are yotzei, I don’t know, we’ll talk about that next. But it’s certain that he can’t do anything about it. It will remain a fantasy.

“Kol yamai l’havi es haMoshiach” – But How?

To what extent “adam nivra yechidi kedei she’yomar bishvili nivra ha’olam” [“man was created alone so that he should say: for me the world was created” – Sanhedrin 37a], as everyone knows, every Chassidic sefer (book), every Jewish sefer in the world says, as the saying goes, “kol yamai l’havi es haMoshiach” [“all my days to bring the Moshiach”], that every person’s entire life must be to bring Moshiach. Yes, that’s not the simple meaning of the Haggadah, but that’s an interpretation. You must bring Moshiach.

How does he bring Moshiach? Okay, he says Tehillim (Psalms), he is mispallel (prays) that Moshiach should come. No problem. Has Tehillim ever been said that Moshiach should come? Someone already drove to Uman once, Moshiach should come. After Moshiach, what will we do? We’ll learn. Then we’ll be able to learn, “u’mal’ah ha’aretz dei’ah es Hashem”, then we’ll be able to learn calmly. That’s what the Rambam says.

Moshiach as “Erev Yom Kippur” – According to the Rambam

But let’s say, even according to the Rambam that Moshiach is Olam Hazeh (this world), Moshiach is still Erev Tishah B’Av, not Tishah B’Av, well, whatever, Erev Yom Kippur. Erev Yom Kippur is Moshiach. Yom Kippur is already Olam Haba (the World to Come), “ayin lo ra’asah” [“no eye has seen” – Isaiah 64:3]. We learn on Erev Yom Kippur. On Erev Yom Kippur one must daven that Moshiach should come. And we do daven for this, in the siddur (prayer book) of Rosh Hashanah especially, “al kein nekaveh lecha” [“therefore we hope to You”] etc. etc. etc., everything speaks about Moshiach coming, or one approach to how Moshiach should come. And one must do this.

Putting Together the Two Yesodos (Foundations): Every Jew Must Have a Plan for the Entire World

The Two Yesodos

It can’t be that a person, because we say, let me explain better, because we’re putting together the two things that I want to do, putting together the two yesodos.

Yesod number one: A person is the kind of thing that travels toward his goal, travels toward his vision, toward his dream, toward his ideal, what the complete thing looks like.

Number 2: A person is not the kind of thing that works alone. That is, not even himself works alone, right?

“Self-Fulfillment” Goes Through an Entire World

A person says, “I want self-fulfillment.” Self-fulfillment goes with having a wedding and having children. That’s how it is for most people, I don’t know, maybe there’s an exception, Ben Azzai, I don’t know who. Most people, to become complete oneself means within the rest of Klal Yisrael (the Jewish people), right? That’s how it goes.

You can’t. You want to be a father? A complete person should be a father, you know? To be a father you need my wife. Not only do you need my wife, you need two witnesses to stand at the chuppah (wedding canopy). You need ten Jews to stand at the chuppah. Okay, you need a whole city, basically. You need someone to go get money for the wedding, in short. You need a whole city to be a father. You want to be a father? Forget it. You mean to say you want a whole world.

I’m not even talking about if someone is a bit more mature and he grasps that he’s not the only one who needs to be a father. There are other fathers too. Yes.

More Maalos (Virtues) of a Person – A Brief Comment

But to say this is the entire maalah (virtue)? The entire maalah of a person? No, there are more maalos. I’m still holding at Erev Yom Kippur. If I arrive at Motzaei Yom Kippur… Or other people who have more maalos in general of a person. Maybe in Olam Haba, in Olam Haba I’ll arrive. I must first… In Olam Hazeh not, in Olam Haba maybe. Yes, yes, but I’m saying, this means he can speak. Is there the Ribbono Shel Olam (Master of the Universe)? Okay, the Ribbono Shel Olam is also something that one speaks about, another thing. The Ribbono Shel Olam is certainly an “other”. Anyway, okay, I need to speak about this the next step. I’ll see how we get there. I mainly wanted to speak about this, but I’m holding that I need to speak halachah l’maaseh (practical application). I need to speak about things that are basic first.

The Conclusion: 1+1=2 – Every Jew Must Have a Plan for the Entire World

So, if we take… if we agree, we’ll arrive at this b’ezras Hashem (with God’s help). If a person takes together the two things, not just one, the two things. If a person takes together the two things, that a person is the kind of thing that is not alone, whoever thinks he’s alone, he’s going to be a great tzaddik (righteous person), he’s going to be a great chacham (wise person), he’s going to be an adam hashalem (complete person), grasps and supports himself. Number one. Second, that a person is the kind of thing that has a plan, it comes out that every Jew must have a plan for the entire world. One and one is two, right?

The Practical Consequence: Sinas Chinam (Baseless Hatred) and the Necessity of a Clear Dream

How Will I Be Everything I Can Be?

I can’t use other words. How will I be, even let’s speak selfishly, how will I be everything I can be? Only when Moshiach comes will I be able to be everything I can be. Moshiach I mean to say, the entire world will work correctly, right?

Example: A Jew Must Both Learn and Go to the IDF

I can translate it most simply, take any example to see that it’s so. A Jew is obligated both to take care of gashmiyus (physical matters) and ruchnius (spiritual matters), true? Everyone agrees? A Jew must both learn and go to the IDF (Israel Defense Forces), every Jew.

Until now the Jews are fighting, there’s a group of Jews who learn, a group who go to the IDF, and this is also because there’s sinas chinam, they don’t trust each other, everyone has good claims and good reasons why. So Moshiach hasn’t come yet. When Moshiach comes, he’ll have to make peace between the Jews, so they can actually, okay, not go over, travel a bit, so they can balance themselves. But part of Moshiach coming is that they should be able to work together, that all Jews should be able to work together. Today in practice the Jews suffer from the fact that they can’t stand to give over who should do what. It’s a reality, it’s not a midrash that sinas chinam makes problems, it’s a reality. Right?

Another Example: Chassidish and Litvish

Every Jew must both learn nigleh (revealed Torah) and nistar (hidden Torah), be both Chassidish and Litvish. Why aren’t all Jews both Chassidish and Litvish? Because they’re fighting. We’ve already solved the problem a bit, not enough.

What? No, true, well, afterward, afterward, on the contrary, not being at war means that we’ll be happy that everyone will do what he has to do. Not everyone has to do the same thing, agreed. But there’s certainly a great measure… Okay, let’s not really talk politics, but there are certainly real things that in certain kehillos (communities) exist and in other kehillos don’t exist, which it’s lacking that the others should have it. The reason why it’s not there is because he doesn’t even learn from that one, because that one is just a moderneh (modern person), that one is too frum (religious), that one is… They’re not going to work together.

All the more so and all the more so when we want to go regarding the goyim (non-Jews), regarding I don’t know, the entire world, we can’t work, we’re mefuzar u’meforad (scattered and dispersed), and he says this way, the second one comes and he says this way, and in short, he does what he wants. In short, there’s no way.

Every Jew Who Does One of These Things is a Bit of a Shaygetz (Non-Jewish Boy)

And this means that I’m a rasha (wicked person), a bit. Every Jew who does one of these things is a bit of a shaygetz, personally. Agreed? Everyone who does what? Every Jew. You once walked in the street in Eretz Yisrael, why don’t you go to the army? Why? Because I’m a frumer (religious person). Okay, it’s a bit of an avlah (injustice) that you’re doing. Why do you do it? Because the Jews are fighting. You can’t, there’s no choice. You’re not going to fight with the entire world, even then you’ll do another aveirah (sin). There’s no way. I mean, maybe there’s a way for certain people, but the problem isn’t solved. And the reason why you… We’re forced, it’s an onus (unavoidable circumstance).

New Interpretation of “Sinas Chinam”

As long as the world doesn’t work… I remember, it’s a stupid example, I mean it’s a very actual example, and one must be mispallel for this truly with tears the first third of Yom Kippur that the Jews should carry out a… It’s not a joke, the Jews are truly, whatever, we don’t want to talk. Already, it’s a real, real, real issue, not a vort (witticism) at all. Not the issue of sinas chinam. That the Jews can’t carry out any way, this… Chinam means to say… Chinam doesn’t mean for nothing, he should absolve you from the little sins.

Sinas chinam means that we can’t work together. This is a, I don’t care if it’s chinam or not. On the contrary, we’ve already said, because everyone has a good idea, that’s why it’s sinas chinam. Why? Because he’s right also, he can’t work that way. He’s right, and everyone will agree together right, not together, next, okay? As that one said, “We either stand together or we hang separately.” There’s no other advice.

That’s what sinas chinam means. That’s what sinas chinam means. Sinas chinam doesn’t mean… It always meant differently. There were always good reasons. On the contrary, as spoken earlier. Sinas chinam doesn’t mean because there’s no good excuse for your hatred. On the contrary, there’s no good excuse, there’s no good excuse, there’s no just. Interesting. Why is it called chinam in the Gemara? In the Gemara it’s a good question, but I don’t care now about the drush (homiletical interpretation). It’s a question of translation from the Gemara. Sinas chinam means this. It literally means this. Now, it doesn’t mean this. Okay, the Rebbe said it means this.

The Real Danger and the Necessity of a Clear Dream

Now, we continue. He can’t argue with this, it’s certain that it means. Now, this is a real problem, and it’s a real danger, not just a real problem, it’s a problem in gashmiyus and ruchnius, a real problem, it can truly destroy the Jewish people this problem, and one must daven that we should find an eitzah (solution).

But what I just want to say is, one must also exert oneself and be pained over what the Olam HaTikkun (World of Rectification) will look like, because if not, one can’t daven, one can’t do anything.

Now, what I just want to bring out, I mean to say aniyus nafshi hitzalti (I have saved my poor soul), I’m a tzaddik, I do this, I don’t do that, I do what I hold is right for me, whatever it is, it’s not true, the other one has a claim on you, he has a rightful claim, he says it’s not chinam, no problem, one has a rightful claim, it’s not even chinam, he’s right too, that is he’s right, but on the other hand I’m also right, everyone is right, no problem. Therefore, a person personally

The Individual Cannot Be Good Without a Communal Plan

The Problem of Individual Piety in a Broken Communal System

Instructor:

You can only vote for one party, for one party, and you can only give your tzedakah (charity) to one institution. I only know how much, even if you’re like a huge wealthy person, can also only a certain amount, and they those chevrah (group) fight with the second ones.

I want to vote for the party that doesn’t fight with anyone. That one doesn’t have any votes, no one goes. Even if there is such a thing, it will be a big loser. In short, there’s no way.

So therefore it comes out that I can’t be an honest Jew as long as I don’t come, as long as the Jews don’t figure out how to do teshuvah (repentance) in a general way.

I can say many other simple examples. See, the same thing, if I hold that one must daven, there are things, one must send the children to a certain kind of cheder (religious elementary school), the cheder doesn’t do certain things correctly. I can’t do what every Jew will make his own cheder. A cheder comes, the entire olam (community) sends me to cheder.

Eh, what will I do? Okay, I can further, “ani es nafshi hitzalti” [I have saved my own soul], I’ll find an eitzah. You won’t find an eitzah, and even if yes, you’re obligated, what about your “kol Yisrael areivim zeh lazeh” [all of Israel are responsible for one another]? I won’t help you.

So if a person is not a partner properly with all other Jews, it’s itself an aveirah. He also does personally certainly an aveirah, and he himself becomes twisted, his own neshamah (soul), his own nefesh (soul) becomes twisted in all kinds of ways because of this.

And because of this, one can’t be good as long as the entire world is not good. One can’t. Right?

One Must First Have an Ideal/Plan — “V’ya’asu chulam agudah achas”

Instructor:

And therefore, because one can’t work on anything before one has an idea of what it looks like, as it says in the pasuk (verse) “v’ya’asu chulam agudah achas” [and they shall all form one union], I already said to myself the kavanah (intention) on Rosh Hashanah, that until now one didn’t know, one thought that there’s only one agudah (union), and one discovered that there are two agudos at all. One must be mispallel “v’ya’asu chulam agudah achas”.

And that literally, why is it a joke? It’s so funny, why are you laughing from this joke? Why is it a vort? Agudas Yisroel [Agudas Yisroel — a political party] means only the Agudas Yisroel, but agudas kol Yisrael [the union of all Israel] should have been, right?

Maybe kol there means literally all peoples, right? The United Nations should for once be united, Ribbono Shel Olam Hakol Yachol [Master of the Universe, All-Powerful]. Why can’t it be? It could be. There’s already a building in Manhattan. Why must one come spit on each other? Why can’t one come truly with ahavah v’achvah (love and brotherhood)? Would be interesting. It would be completely…

We’ll argue about Tosafos [Tosafos — medieval Talmudic commentaries], you know? Instead of arguing how many missiles we’ll send, we’ll argue the pshat (simple meaning) in Tosafos. I hope for you ideas. We’ll argue whether Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel is right, whether the Rambam [Rambam — Maimonides] wrote the Zohar [Zohar — foundational Kabbalistic text]. I’m not talking about whether Rabbi Moshe de Leon [Rabbi Moshe de Leon] wrote the Zohar or not. I don’t know what to do when Moshiach [Moshiach — the Messiah] comes. I have a list of what to do, don’t worry.

Anyway, one must be able to have an ideal of how this works, and this is also dependent on the… and through this one will be able, then one will be able to learn properly.

Torah Learning Without a Communal Plan is “B’dochak Gadol Talmud Torah”

Instructor:

Now what we learn, we learn in an isolated way with limitation. We learn what I should do in my shtetl (small town), in my… This is Talmud Torah [Torah study], this is b’dochak gadol Talmud Torah [Torah study under great constraint], as it says “malkah v’sareha bagoyim ein Torah” [her king and her princes are among the nations, there is no Torah — Lamentations 2:9]. There is no Torah. Nistar [the hidden/mystical dimension] is Torah.

Why? But nistar is also a problem. Let’s talk about this today. Nistar was together with nigleh [the revealed/legal dimension]. No, I’m saying something else.

I’m saying that as long as you learn Torah, how many teruos [teruos — shofar blasts] must be blown in the shofar [shofar — ram’s horn], it’s very important Torah, but no one is going to follow you, right? So what kind of Torah is this? This is bittul Torah [neglect of Torah study], this is a waste of time. You’re not speaking the whole story.

There’s something of a matter, let’s say there’s a kavanah [intention], let’s say there’s a meaning. One must blow shofar, and “teka b’shofar gadol” [blow the great shofar — from the High Holiday liturgy], and “v’ha’ovdim b’eretz Ashur” [and those lost in the land of Assyria — Isaiah 27:13], and the whole thing that happened. This is the kavanah of why we blow shofar on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. We must do this.

As long as you blow shofar and the “ovdim b’eretz Ashur” don’t come, weak deeds, true? So one must make a plan. This is what I’m saying.

How Many “Kinds” of People Are There?

Instructor:

Therefore, because a person is a davar hachi klali [the most universal thing], so one must… It’s actually an interesting circle, I think. First one must have a plan for what humanity will look like.

The Problem of “Clarity” — What Will It Look Like Practically?

Do I know how many people are alive? People say there are eight billion. Nobody knows, nobody counted. But that’s what they say, it’s written in Wikipedia, I don’t know what, that there are eight billion people. Very many types of people.

It’s not really eight million people, there are only about seven or eight types of people, right? The others are copies. Look and you’ll see. So… only seven types of million people?

There are Muslims, there are Christians, there are Jews, there are Buddhists, there are Chinese. You can name three more of those people. That’s basically what there is, no?

Student:

No, there’s a huge reason why we speak of, we make such generalizations, that there really are only about that many types of people. A billion Chinese, all the same, no? They all even look the same.

Instructor:

What? Two, yes, let’s say. To you they’re the same, they think they’re different. Okay, okay, whatever, I mean to say. Okay, there are twenty types of people, I don’t know. I’m guessing now, there are all thousands of billions of all of them.

And it’s so hard for us to imagine that all of them will be good people. I don’t know what it means. I really don’t know what it means. I need to try to figure out what it means. Because I don’t know. But it means something. I can tell you ideas, but all these verses, all these prayers mean something. What does it mean?

The Problem of “Clarity” — What Will It Look Like Practically?

Instructor:

“It will be so clear” — these are the words that are said. “It will be so clear, the stones will know” — I don’t know what you’re talking about. Stones can’t know. It’s hard. Isn’t it hard?

I’m talking now about the person, not about the stones, not about the clarity of heaven. Why will it become clear? Okay, how will it become clear? Why will it become clear? What will become clear? Because you are… what can be in another reality.

Student:

Very good. What can be? One must tell a story.

Instructor:

For example, I’ll explain my problem to you. For example, today when I go out on the street, I meet my neighbor the non-Jew, even my neighbor the Jew, I don’t want him already. Let’s not say my neighbor the non-Jew, and I’ll say good Shabbos.

Does he say Shabbos to me? I don’t know, Saturday, he heard, maybe there is Shabbos? He read a book. And I can’t talk to him, and I chat more, there was a kiddush, all the Chassidic stories were told, and he tells me, ah, WhatsApp? Ah, I don’t know, I mowed my lawn, today is the third time already. That’s what he wanted to do Saturday, right? He made a nice straight line.

You understand, I can’t even talk to him, you’re already talking about it being clear that he’s good, that I should explain how it will look. I’ll come to the non-Jew, yes yes, this is a nice fantasy.

You’re talking, you’re counting on details, it will come out. After your farbrengen (Chassidic gathering), they talked there about the dispute between Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin and the Baal HaTanya about yechidah ilaah (the highest level of the soul), and I’ll go tell the non-Jew, what do you hold? And he’ll say, ah, for us we actually hold more like the Baal HaTanya. That’s what it means, right?

They didn’t even try to do it. Maybe Lubavitchers try, I don’t know. Doesn’t it mean that?

Student:

Okay, I’ll say what it means, I don’t know, I can’t think of many things that it means. There are the intentions, one will feel… when will the feelings happen? The world doesn’t work that way.

Instructor:

I’ll say how it will work. Okay, first of all, how will it work, that someone will come, and he’ll explain to them, and little by little, explain to them. Okay, in short, it will… you see, whenever you have these jumps, I don’t know what this means.

Student:

Very good. So if so, it’s a bit of a question of a berachah levatala (a blessing in vain). He must agree just like this is a table. The non-Jew agrees this is a table yes. What will be as clear as this is a table? What will be as clear as this is a table? What will be as clear as this is a slogan now?

It’s in English, because it will be clear, true? The non-Jew can’t… and the non-Jew will make another non-Jew go learn lashon hakodesh (Hebrew)? Doesn’t have to be, true? He can keep speaking English, right? I don’t know, I’m asking you, must everyone learn lashon hakodesh?

Instructor:

I have a friend Rabbi Holtman, this is who impresses when he is non-Jew his his I mean, I have to me that most people who say things, imagine, I don’t even know, it means there are two types of imagination.

There’s a thing that is imagination, which means, I know the end result, I don’t know how we get there. That’s one type of imagination. It’s a dream, it makes a bit of sense, I don’t know what it looks like.

There’s a second type of dream, where even having an idea of what it looks like, one has something such… one says, one does so, when a person, instead of answering, he starts to close his eyes and put on the gartel (belt worn during prayer). Okay, make a life.

Student:

Yes Shmuel Rabbim, afterwards let’s.

Instructor:

Yes, there are whites one doesn’t hold there. Okay, there are many problems, but there’s a verse, as one says in the Shemoneh Esrei (the Amidah prayer), “v’chein tifchadu alav v’chu’, kemo sheyadanu” (and so they will fear Him etc., as we already know), as we already know, one should say for them, right?

Attempting to Understand “Kemo Sheyadanu” — What Do We Already Know?

Instructor:

And in Aleinu Leshabei’ach (Aleinu — concluding prayer) one says so, Aleinu Leshabei’ach, we are happy that we already know, “v’al kein nekaveh lecha” (and therefore we hope to You) that other people will want to know. Okay, it should say…

Student:

One minute, so which part is false? He doesn’t know, so what is false? Our prayers are false? Can’t be.

Instructor:

No, “kemo sheyadanu” means “we know now”. That’s how I translate it. “Sheyadanu” — as we would have been. I mean “kemo sheyadanu”, I mean “kemo she’anachnu yod’im” (as we know). As I say in the Machzor Hamefurash (the explained prayer book), as I’ve always meant to translate.

What is as we already know? “Sheyadanu kvar” — they will know. “Yeid’u”, as if “v’yeid’u kemo sheyadanu”, they have long known. That’s what I mean.

Student:

Ah, you don’t know? Maybe you’re one of the non-Jews who needs to be converted?

Instructor:

I don’t know, I mean that one needs to find a plan.

Student:

Ah, very good. You know what? It’s very hard. I mean, I can tell you the words. I mean that one will speak with the neighbor. Let’s say, I don’t know. I don’t know if that’s the idea, by the way. I don’t know if you understand the Tanya (Tanya — foundational Chassidic text by the Baal HaTanya) and the Shaar HaYichud VehaEmunah (Shaar HaYichud VehaEmunah — section of Tanya on Divine unity) is the thing. Maybe that’s just one big push-off from exile that’s said, and really it means many other things, much more than that. I don’t know.

Instructor:

What about the president who says that b’siyata d’Shmaya (with Heaven’s help) he does everything? That’s what it means, yes? Then suddenly he’ll be happy? If so, if… what? I myself don’t know exactly.

Student:

Ask Uri, he has it every day on his status a second.

Instructor:

Then it will be the olam hatikun (the world of rectification)? That’s what it means? I don’t know, for some reason doesn’t seem to mean that way.

“In God We Trust” and Chassidic Interpretations

Instructor:

And the Americans have long been saying “In God We Trust”. They recently stopped saying it, but it was already closer to the simple meaning, it’s already become further, yes? That’s what it means approximately? I don’t know.

That means one sees that it’s not us, it’s all Him. What does one see? These are Chassidic interpretations. I don’t know which. Why?

Student:

“Shelo shalfanecha” doesn’t mean that. It means “delafka avodah zarah” (specifically idolatry), a translation.

Instructor:

That means it’s all the same thing. Not the same thing, but Him, not me, but Him.

Student:

No, no, it’s not the same thing. We don’t know… hello, you’re saying that “Aleinu is praised in vain”?

Instructor:

First of all, it doesn’t mean me, it doesn’t mean anything about people, it’s about other gods in my siddur (prayer book). It means idols. I would have gone according to Chassidus.

God’s Kingship: Justice and Judgment, Not Chassidic Feelings

Discussion: The Chassidic Interpretation of “Shelo Shalfanecha”

The Chassidic Proposal

Student #1: I wasn’t here.

What does one see? That it’s not us, it’s all Him.

Maggid Shiur: No, these are Chassidic words. I don’t know what that means.

Rejection: The Simple Meaning Speaks of Idolatry

Student #2: “Shelo shalfanecha” doesn’t mean that. It means to uproot avodah zarah (idolatry), Hebrew translation.

Maggid Shiur: That’s all the same thing. Not me, but Him.

Student #2: No, no, it’s not the same thing. We already know… hello, you’re saying “idols of false praise”? It doesn’t mean me. It doesn’t mean anything about people. It means about other gods in my siddur (prayer book). It means avodah zarah (idolatry).

I would have gone according to Chassidus, not for everyone. What is there? Everyone knew that he… once there was what was meant by avodah zarah, afterwards not avodah zarah, it’s Him. Everyone means me, not me, Him. It’s all the same thing.

Critique: Confusion of Levels

Student #3: Really? What what? Today there’s no avodah zarah, everyone knew that it’s us. And when avodah zarah was answered, all people were sure that it’s not them. There is God.

I didn’t ask anything you’re saying. Really? You understand that what you’re saying doesn’t make sense? I don’t know if it’s written in Chassidic books and all these questions. But I’m asking you a question. That… you understand that God did everything. Ah, yes? That’s what people used to think? Who thought so? I don’t understand.

The yetzer hara (evil inclination) that you’re talking about now from… let’s call it… I think it’s true. The Rebbe says you have bechirah (free will). That’s true yes. It’s a different level what God does, not the same level you do.

But what you’re saying that… by the way, the Rambam (Maimonides) once said opposite interpretations, that the problem is that he thinks that God does everything, and I need to teach out that people do. Ah, ah, ah, ah?

I don’t want to be disrespectful to the shoes that this should come. I admit, it’s a real question. But also, this puts a difference between saying avodah zarah and saying some such Chassidic concept that a person should feel that he trusts that the Almighty does. It’s only related as it’s two things. It’s good Torah teachings, but it’s not true. Can’t be.

What does it mean the Almighty? Ah, that I’m asking you. I mean it means a real thing. It doesn’t mean subjective nonsense. It means something real.

You forgot my shiur (class/lecture) from last year about this. Do you want me to review the whole thing? It’s even written down and printed even.

It doesn’t mean that I want to feel nothing. It doesn’t mean at all that people want to feel. Where does it say feel? It says know perhaps, but feel it certainly doesn’t say. I don’t agree. I don’t know. I don’t know what it means.

And it could be that it’s already happened and we didn’t catch it. I don’t want any not. I don’t even know what I’m looking for. Maybe it’s already happened?

The Rambam’s Optimism: “Yachiru V’Yeid’u” Is Almost Fulfilled

The Rambam said it’s almost already happened, right? And the downfall of kingdoms. Most non-Jews already know about the Almighty, says the Rambam, true?

What Jews have prayed for thousands of years, “yachiru v’yeid’u kol yoshvei teivel” (all inhabitants of the world will recognize and know), is fulfilled. There should be some small error, and it still needs to be fixed, and there’s still what error to make. Ah, he knows to say that this is a virtue, there were two virtues. It’s literally the answer.

Jews cried for a thousand years in the Beis HaMikdash (the Holy Temple) and said, “lo lanu Hashem lo lanu ki l’shimcha tein kavod” (not for us, God, not for us, but for Your name give honor), “lamah yomru hagoyim” (why should the nations say), shouldn’t the non-Jews also know.

The Almighty sent messengers and prophets for the non-Jews. It’s not a homiletical interpretation, it’s basic reality. The Almighty sent messengers for the non-Jews, and now they already know. Ah, guess what, I’ve brought out in a sort of way how to also make this a craziness. Okay.

“Knowing” vs. “Feeling” – The Critical Distinction

Student: What do you mean he doesn’t mean knowing? But what then does he mean? I don’t understand why more. It means knowing approximately, not clear.

Maggid Shiur: But it’s not approximately. According to the Rama (Rabbi Moshe Isserles), Christians have some error that they think there are three, or the Muslims know clearly, they have other errors, they think one doesn’t need to keep any mitzvah (commandment).

They actually hold that it’s all the Almighty. Certainly, much more. The Muslims hold much more that it’s all the Almighty than us. They don’t even believe in free will. Except very successful ones already hold that it’s the Almighty.

Now, whole mixed, first of all it’s not true. This is generally mankind, but this is just, this is just, you see confusing levels. I don’t know if there is such a concept according to Chassidus, according to mussar (ethical teachings), according to Chovos HaLevavos (the Duties of the Heart).

I’m not talking now about that, I’m talking about the simple meaning of the verse. The verse didn’t mean that, and what the verse said has become in the scheme.

So why should one be happy? Like the Rambam should be happy. We still talk about the Indians, that they still worship a bunch of gods, they’ve also been seen, that’s the truth. Does it mean that? I’m asking you, I don’t know.

Student: No, it means that.

Maggid Shiur: I don’t agree. I don’t agree. I don’t agree. I know what you’re talking about, I don’t agree. No, it’s not the verses. It’s not far from the simple meaning of the verse.

Okay, I’m good. If you say so, and I say so, and I’m right.

The Main Interpretation of “God’s Kingship”

The Better Question Than an Answer

Now, anyway, what do I get to all this? I don’t think it means that, I don’t think it means that, I don’t know. I can’t tell you the answer, I mean it’s a better question than an answer. But there must be a good plan, there must be a good plan.

Now, I would have told you, one doesn’t know what one’s talking about. He says that it means they should all be masters of ethics, those who trust in God.

Critique of “Those Who Trust”

Do me a favor, I don’t want. I told you, I don’t want people to be those who trust in God. Generally, on the contrary. Because those who trust are usually bad people. I won’t go into it. I can’t deal with those people.

He steals and he says “the trust in God, the Almighty gave it to you”. He’s a thief. Very good. I can’t talk about him. Somehow, that person you’re talking about, they’re all thieves.

In short, I don’t know, it’s a problem. I don’t know what he means. I mean generally that it doesn’t mean that. That’s my opinion.

“A King Who Loves Charity and Justice” – The True Meaning

In my siddur it says that the Almighty is “melech oheiv tzedakah u’mishpat” (a King who loves charity and justice). That the Almighty is a king means that the world is conducted with uprightness and justice. That’s the meaning.

And how is the world conducted with uprightness and justice? Through what people understand that God’s intention, so to speak, in other words, the true good is when one conducts oneself with righteousness and justice.

And consequently, God’s kingship means, not as you say God’s kingship means that the stupid right wing is another terrible king, the craziest honest Jew is another king. That’s the meaning.

“Yimloch Hashem l’olam Elokayich Tzion l’dor vador” (God will reign forever, your God, Zion, from generation to generation) doesn’t mean any feelings, doesn’t mean such a type of Torah. That’s good to chat about at kiddush (Sabbath blessing over wine).

How Does One Win a War? Today vs. Moshiach’s Time

What it means in Hebrew translation is that today, how does one win a war? Whoever has the most money and the most guns.

When Moshiach (the Messiah) will come, who will win the war? They will go to beis din (Jewish court), they will bring the claim (ta’anah). As it says in the verse, “v’shafat b’tzedek dalim v’hochei’ach b’meishor l’anvei aretz” (and he will judge the poor with righteousness and decide with equity for the humble of the earth).

The verse says, Yeshayahu (Isaiah) describes Moshiach, that instead of doing the good… besides “k’chavas alav” (like striking him), this is the same verse. Instead of fighting over who is the bigger bear will win, because that is not malchus Hashem (God’s kingdom), that is simply kol d’alim gavar (whoever is stronger prevails), Moshiach will come, people of understanding (ba’alei da’as), Moshiach, Sanhedrin (the high court), whatever you want to think, and they will hear the claims, and whoever is right, he will win.

Why will he win? Because then all people will “yachiru v’yeid’u kol yoshvei teiveil” (recognize and know all inhabitants of the world), all people will recognize that all these powers, all these ways that people can be stronger than one another, are not real, are foolishness (shtusim), it’s not true.

The Practical Plan

They won’t win because they’ll give the guns to whoever is right. What will Moshiach do? Will he grab all the weapons? I’ll tell you a plan.

Wait a minute, you don’t have a plan, I have a plan. Moshiach will come, I’m not saying what you’re saying. How will people agree that the honest Jew is king?

Not honest Jew, I don’t know what honest Jew means. The one who is right. Honest Jew means that he is right, not whoever davens a longer Shemoneh Esrei (the Eighteen Blessings prayer). The one who is right. “Ba’asher diber melech shilton” (where the word of the king is, there is authority).

What does it mean how they speak? By the way, people already think this way, most people. There is a dispute (machlokes), there is to speak with people in the street, most people, there are people who think this way, there are people who think this way. I’m speaking, it’s a relief (nicha) in the beis hamidrash (study hall). Why? Because enough people think differently. Meanwhile. Everyone thinks differently.

The truth, so you say, so say indeed all people who don’t yet have nigleh k’vod Hashem (God’s honor has not been revealed). But we think that k’vod Hashem (God’s honor) means in a Chassidic manner. What does it mean in a Chassidic manner? Tell yourself simple things (dvarim peshutim) in the wealth (osher).

Don’t know what you want, see? Instead of you see, you don’t believe in this. You don’t believe that it’s real. Why? Because you say that for it to be such a basic thing, that people, everyone should understand what one learns, one should know what to understand, one should understand, one should understand.

Most people who understand that they were taught. Most people who understand that kol beis olam gavar (every worldly power prevails), someone taught them this. And most people understand that it must be different, first understand that it must be different, after what is different. Okay?

Most people understand that it must be different and it can be different, they learned this in cheder (elementary religious school) in kindergarten. Okay, I heard what you’re saying.

Now, let’s go further. Look at the news, that it seems not everyone holds like him. Now, okay, listen, you say games. Listen, listen, listen, stop my…

Examples from Today’s World: Why Wars Continue

Russia and Ukraine

And this is the reason why today there are wars, and they don’t win. Why don’t they win? Why don’t they say there are wars forever? Have you just worked?

Russia tried to take over Ukraine four, six years ago, I don’t know how long ago, and they’re still stuck on the same daled amos (four cubits). Why? I won’t say why, because both hold that they are right. It’s very simple.

If one, if one, listen to my talk, and it will become what you’ve meant until now. Before that you would have come here I’ll say something else. He gave, if it were clear that if… let’s sing betrayed, you know what? Let’s not say, one may try, for two weeks about trying to take over, and whoever it was, it’s a fight, whoever it was, lo himliah (it did not succeed). After two weeks he tried, it didn’t succeed, he would have remained as he is and gone home.

Meanwhile, you hold that God is with him. That’s the translation. That’s the translation that everyone says, the Pelishtim (Philistines) shout that his god is a god. What does it mean? What difference which god? What is God’s name? He’s called Reuven or Shimon. It’s the same God. This means he holds that he is right. Okay?

Putin shouts that his god is a god. Which god is a god? Does he believe? I don’t know. What does it mean to say? Listen to my explanation.

No problem, this is already a great level (madreigah), this has not yet been claimed (toivei’a). This will be l’olam haba (in the World to Come), this will be level. I’m speaking practically (l’ma’aseh) Moshiach.

What do I mean agree? L’olam haba? No, I mean truly, but I must tell him the whole time, if you can stay here for another two hours I’ll say the next step. Because first one still holds in this world (b’olam hazeh). It’s erev Yom Kippur (the eve of Yom Kippur), Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) itself you’ll come home and say the next part.

The Split of the Churches

Therefore he fights because he holds that he is right. And God is with him, and the problem is that when he has the same God as the other, and he has the same beis din, the same God, beis din and God are the same thing, Hashem melech hamishpat (God, King of justice), he would translate, say indeed aseres y’mei teshuvah (the Ten Days of Repentance), he would because it would have come to some decision (bashlis), because the other has a second god, and know that the second week of the war they split into the Russian church and the Ukrainian church, he split into the other god.

Why? Because his priest (galach) must I say that he is right, and his priest must I say that he was. There is the same pope, it’s literally troubles (tzoros). How can it be? The pope will be lost, he must say, ah, what do we do?

Therefore they fight further, and no one bends for a moment that it could be that the other is right. Who is actually right we don’t yet know, we really don’t know. Because they’re fighting.

The Solution: Beis Din and Justice

Moshiach will come that it should be very simple. You have a claim, you hold that Ukraine is a fake country, it must be returned to you. Come to beis din, bring all your papers, all claims, and speak claims. Perhaps it’s not enough at all. One must speak with the people what they want, we’ll get through. We will be justice.

This translates that the Almighty will be king, we will have peace in the world. Everyone will understand, does Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel) belong to the Jews or to the Palestinians?

Why do they fight further? Everyone holds that he is right. His god, it’s the same God, but he holds that he is right. He only fights because he is right. He only fights because he is right.

The Practical Plan for Moshiach and the Structure of the High Holy Days

Wars and Justice: The Foundation of Conflict

I ask, why do you fight? Because I want to? You’re a wild animal (chayah ra’ah)? No one says this. He says because he is right. I’m not a Jew, I’m telling you emes la’amito (the absolute truth). He fights because he is right.

I say, we don’t know, therefore one fights because one doesn’t know, and we have no way to decide (l’hachri’a), as the Rosh (Rabbeinu Asher ben Yechiel, great early authority) says. Different judges, when there’s no way to decide, it remains kol d’alim gavar (whoever is stronger prevails), because what do I want to do? There’s no way to decide, because we have no understanding (seichel), we really don’t know who is right. Do you know who is right? I don’t know.

The Plan for Moshiach: Taking Over the School System

If Moshiach will come, and by the way, this is not hard, one can educate the world better, one must take over the school system, this is my plan for Moshiach, okay? One must take over the school system of the entire world. Little by little, one person at a time, I started here a class, okay, I said my part, and I want to do, and I want to laugh, it’s so funny, and you want here six people? Everyone speaks with another six people. As you’ve given yourself every thing, yes?

You say the Chassidim, you say the people, you should have been because of, Ribbono shel Olam (Master of the Universe). He took a half people, he educated. This means literally, he taught people with his foolishness, no problem, he did it with the truth. Kal vachomer (a fortiori logical argument), im lo afru retzono kach (if they did not abandon his will so), it can’t be that it’s so hard.

The Parable of Education

He taught the people how one teaches in cheder (traditional Jewish elementary school)? Hands are not beaten. You have a claim against the rebbe, a friend comes to the rebbe, he will see who is right, they gave the other the toy.

And Moshiach will come, and I want indeed this is the plan, okay? And this he will explain, Moshiach is not yet olam haba (the World to Come) for this. Olam haba people won’t care at all about olam hazeh (this world), that’s olam haba. But Moshiach cares only that he wants to be right.

One Doesn’t Need to Convert So Many People

What does Moshiach want to do a word, all people… Who makes wars? Practically, in the end it says, there are only three, four people in the world who actually decide anything, right? There are billions… half a million soldiers won’t die, because of one person who started the left side one day, right? One doesn’t even need to convert so many people.

Once what was, the Christians used to send missionaries, the greatest job was to convert the prince. You know, there is a law, “cuius regio, eius religio” (whose realm, his religion), right? One only needs to convince the king, and more or less the entire world falls by itself. It’s not so hard, one doesn’t even need to convert so many people.

Historical Examples: Rabbi Avraham Abulafia and the Ramban

And they must figure out a way, the Jews, if one holds that something stands in the Torah, that there is such a point, he must think a dream and a way. Not only dream and pray, to do practically is dangerous.

Rabbi Avraham Abulafia and the Pope

You know that Rabbi Avraham Abulafia had a plan that he would teach the entire world the truth, and he scheduled an appointment with the pope. Then the pope was the king of kings (melech malchei hamelachim), more or less, he led all Christianity, all Europe. Not entirely, but he had power (koach), he could tell many kings what to do. So he scheduled an appointment. The pope died the night before the appointment. True story. That’s how one must do.

The Ramban’s Description of Moshiach

So says the Ramban (Rabbeinu Moshe ben Nachman, Nachmanides). The Ramban was asked, “What does Moshiach mean by you?” By us it means, in the Ramban’s debate, “By us it means that we went back to Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel) and it sits in justice (yosheiv b’tzedek) in the world.”

Well, how will it happen? He says, “What does it mean? A Jew will come, like Moshe Rabbeinu, the Almighty will awaken in him prophecy (nevuah), he will come to the king, like to you, or to the pope” – he says clearly, “to the pope” – “and he will say, ‘shlach es ami’ (send out my people). What’s going on? It’s not just (yosher). Why should the Jews be enslaved and descend in such a manner (ofen), that they cannot have their own nation like all the nations (kol hagoyim)? Kach hoveh (so it will be).”

And since it’s still not just, and they still hold that they are right, one must convince them that they are right. Or is the truth, who is right, as the other said, “It’s only that the truth should not come out.” In short, figure out what is the truth, and then there will be a great board, the UN, what’s it called, nuclear weapons board, will sit together, and they will give all the codes of the nukes to Reb Mottel Zilber. Good day.

Moshiach as Judge with Power

And if he holds that it’s coming to someone, as it says in the verse, and it’s literally so the verse, the Chazal (our Sages of blessed memory) say about Moshiach “v’hikah eretz b’sheivet piv” (and he will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth), that if Moshiach will decree (gozer zein) on a country shetecherav (that it should be destroyed), it will be destroyed. One can see it on computer literally.

They will give the codes to Tateh Zilber, and he will contemplate (misbonein zein) all the rulings (pesachim). This is a difference (chiluk), is there an idea? I’m only giving you a tea. I don’t mean any joke. By the way, I make this is already a joke, but it can’t be? It can be.

And he will decide (machlit zein) who is right. And if the other, they will warn him, of course, one doesn’t need to just immediately kill, they will warn the other, if you don’t want, he will make trouble, he only needs to intend (mechavein zein), say the code, and he is finished with that one. It’s as simple as that. This means “v’hayah Hashem l’melech al kol ha’aretz” (and God will be king over all the earth). What did he mean to mean?

Afterwards, before this, they will establish a great yeshiva (Torah learning institution), and one will be able to sit and learn. Then there is an olam haba. Then will be the purpose (matara) of this, which we still need to speak at great and awesome length (b’arichut gadol v’nora).

Kavanah in Prayer: An Image in the Head

But so now, once I must, regarding the talk I must carry out, I hold that this is a good plan, I must have intention (kavanah), I must have some image in my head when one says all these verses, all these psalms (mizmorim), and “v’yisa’u kol avadecha” (and all your servants will withdraw).

The Byzantine Iconoclasm

By the way, I once read someone’s theory that “v’yisa’u kol avadecha” was written after such an event actually happened somewhere. In Byzantium there was an iconoclasm, so there is a theory. No difference. “V’yivarchu”, in short, what is detailed (mefurat), yes? “V’yira’ucha im shemesh” (and they will fear you with the sun).

There was an event that in the Byzantine church one day there was an awakening (his’orerus) that one must on who is still now a tzivein, one must break the icons, because they held that the Almighty is not a body. There is a translation, a logical argument (sevara) that “v’yisa’u” was written then, that the Jews were awakened and saw, ah, it can happen, the taking down of what they serve all day pictures of Mary, they broke one day, an event of the world (ma’aseh shel olam). It can be, and he goes on the alef-beis builds. I think he truly imagined, yes?

“And they shall bless Your glorious Name”

“And they shall bless Your glorious Name” [And they shall bless Your glorious Name: and they will bless the name of Your glory], “and they shall declare the might of Your awesome deeds, and I shall recount Your greatness” [and they shall declare the might of Your awesome deeds, and I shall recount Your greatness: and they will tell of the strength of Your awesome acts and Your greatness I will recount]. What does this mean? That when we land further in the news it will say that today Mashiach ruled [ruled: made a halachic decision] that everyone is righteous. “Your righteousness” [Your righteousness: Your righteousness], who is righteous? “And they shall fear You with the sun and before the moon, generation after generation” [And they shall fear You with the sun and before the moon, generation after generation: and they will fear You with the sun and before the moon generation after generation], yes? People will get up for vasikin [vasikin: early in the morning to pray], people will get up before dawn, and there will be a custom among non-Jews to go to vasikin. That’s what it says in the siddur [siddur: prayer book], yes? And so on. These are simple matters [simple matters: simple things].

The Structure of the Yamim Noraim: From Universal to Particular

Now, I need to say one thing. Now, I noticed an interesting thing. And now, everyone knows the Torah that is said from the Tzanzer Rebbe, or from Rabbi Yisrael Salanter, from various tzaddikim [tzaddikim: righteous people], that at first he wanted to fix [to fix: to repair] the whole world, then, and so on, until he realized that even himself alone he cannot fix, to give over to the Almighty. He didn’t know the note, but this happened after he realized that he’s also going to fix himself.

But I realized that the progression of the Yamim Noraim [Yamim Noraim: the Days of Awe, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur] goes roughly like this.

Rosh Hashanah: The Universal Day

Because Rosh Hashanah, I don’t know Yom Kippur also, but it’s already a bit less. Rosh Hashanah is one hundred percent a universal day. Rosh Hashanah, Adam HaRishon [Adam HaRishon: the first man] was born, we hardly speak of the Jews, a little. “Hashem Elokei Yisrael melech” [Hashem Elokei Yisrael melech: God, the God of Israel, is King], I mean, we know, this is the first call, something like that. But essentially, the Almighty will be the King of the whole world. The whole world the Almighty judges, by the way [by the way: incidentally].

Do you have non-Jewish friends? Do you work with non-Jews? No. Do you have non-Jewish friends? Did you pray for them on Rosh Hashanah? Do you know that non-Jews are also judged [judged: to judge] on Rosh Hashanah? After the Jews. It’s explicit, that’s what it says in the Gemara [Gemara: Talmud]. You need to pray for them, no? Do you want them to have a good year or not? Whatever, what’s going on? We don’t believe in anything, it’s shameful [shameful: shame], we don’t believe what we say ourselves. Rosh Hashanah is for the non-Jews too.

Even Yom Kippur. It says in visions [visions: visions], the Rambam [Rambam: Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, Maimonides], I told you this week the Rambam that Yom Kippur is also for all who come into the world [for all who come into the world: for all who come into the world]. Okay. Now, in practice, Rosh Hashanah, this is the greatest plan. I just said a certain dream of how it could be. This is the plan of Rosh Hashanah, okay?

Yom Kippur: For the Jews

Then comes the thing that He settles down [settles down: to sit down], He begins to think, to detail [to detail: to describe in detail] how the plan will work. He begins to realize, can Satmar A and Satmar B sit together? Am I holding by bringing together Kim Jong Un with Putin? These are fantasies. Okay, you know what? We have the topic [topic: theme] of selichos [selichos: forgiveness prayers] that needs to be discussed at length. You know what? Let’s make it a bit smaller. He begins to make the dream a bit smaller. Not to make it smaller, but to understand. There must be the first stage, there must be.

Because if He doesn’t have a student [student: student], what does a person mean? And how does the person mean all of humanity, all children of Adam HaRishon [children of Adam HaRishon: children of the first man], children of Noach [children of Noach: children of Noah], I know this. One cannot speak of this. I need to explain this [to explain: to explain] also at length. And therefore [therefore: therefore], but one must begin how a person is “for me the world was created” [for me the world was created: for me the world was created], but in practice he works on his area. Okay, so the Jews. All sorts of Jews, he thinks. There are religious Jews, there are secular Jews, there are… This is the meaning of Yom Kippur. Right?

Yom Kippur is for the secular Jews, yes? “With the consent of the Omnipresent and with the consent of the congregation, we permit praying with the transgressors” [With the consent of the Omnipresent and with the consent of the congregation, we permit praying with the transgressors: With the knowledge of God and with the knowledge of the congregation, we permit praying with the transgressors]. The religious Jews already have on Yom Kippur, in their Ten Days of Repentance [Ten Days of Repentance: the ten days of repentance], as the Tur [Tur: the Baal HaTurim, Yaakov ben Asher] says, already on Erev Rosh Hashanah [Erev Rosh Hashanah: the eve before Rosh Hashanah], already long after, they’ve already long been forgiven [been forgiven: forgiven] all sins [sins: sins].

The problem is that they realized, and then on Rosh Hashanah one speaks of a whole world, they realized that this is the Almighty Himself. Yes, the Almighty Himself first spoke with Adam HaRishon, with Noach, He wanted to make the whole world, then He realized, He wants to try with one nation, let’s try, okay? It didn’t work.

They realized that the story is a story of the Almighty, yes? Parshas Bereishis [Parshas Bereishis: the portion of Genesis] is the story. The Almighty tried that all people should be people, it didn’t succeed. He tried the flood [flood: the flood], the dispersion [the dispersion: the dispersion]. That’s what it says in this week’s portion [portion: parsha], yes, “when the Most High gave the nations their inheritance” [when the Most High gave the nations their inheritance: when the Most High distributed the nations]. Moshe didn’t let this already. But… But… It says in this week’s portion, the Almighty said, okay, “God’s portion is His people” [God’s portion is His people: God’s portion is His people], I will take. It doesn’t mean that in the end there must be “behold I redeem My people” [behold I redeem My people: behold I redeem My people], everyone must understand. Okay, make the nation, when the problem that I have with them, well problem, there is Yom Kippur for that.

The Almighty also forgave all sins, and one can be at peace [at peace: in peace] with all Jews. Why is there Yom Kippur? I don’t know, it’s very interesting, but to this day [to this day: until this very day] most Jews [most Jews: most Jews] celebrate Yom Kippur. A very interesting thing. But why? Because it’s for them. Simple understanding [simple understanding: simple understanding], it’s for them. And this is Yom Kippur.

And Yom Kippur, one sees clearly, it’s much more Jewish. One speaks that the Almighty forgives, it says in the verse, forgives, how does the blessing go? “He did not consume His people the House of Israel in servitude” [He did not consume His people the House of Israel in servitude: He did not consume the service of His people the House of Israel]. It doesn’t say “for the service of the whole world” [for the service of the whole world: for the service of the whole world]. The Almighty can also be in the… the service [service: service] also. This is no longer Yom Kippur. The… is the whole topic. But “King of all the earth” [King of all the earth: King of all the earth]. On Rosh Hashanah we say King over all the earth, also Yom Kippur. But only King over all the earth, that’s in our version [version: trial]. But Yom Kippur says, forgiving is a further manner [manner: a way] for the Jews. Yes, yes, yes, this is understood. Not for the non-Jews. The non-Jews should find another great non-Jew [great: great], I don’t know.

So Yom Kippur says that the Jews should work together. In order to work together, one must forgive all Jewish sins. This is Yom Kippur, okay?

Sukkos and Shemini Atzeres

Then comes Sukkos [Sukkos: the festival of Sukkos]. And gradually, basically, seventy offerings were made for all the seventy nations, one must also give something for them too. And until Shemini Atzeres [Shemini Atzeres: the eighth day of Sukkos] it was said, they won’t work, we’ll only dance with the few Jews.

Practical Application: From Yom Kippur to the Whole World

The Structure of the Yomim Tovim: From Broad to Narrow

The non-Jews should find another great non-Jew, I don’t know.

So Yom Kippur says that all the Jews should work together. In order to work together one must forgive all Jewish sins. This is Yom Kippur, okay? Then comes Sukkos, and gradually, basically, seventy offerings were made for all the seventy nations, one must also give something for them too. And until Shemini Atzeres, one says, it won’t work, we’ll only dance with the few Jews, perhaps with oneself, with those who learn the Torah [Torah: the Jewish Bible/law], with Simchas Torah [Simchas Torah: the joy of Torah]. In short, it becomes smaller and smaller. Like Shemini Atzeres, Rashi [Rashi: Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, the great commentator on Tanach and Talmud] says, it’s only for the Jews, one has already thrown off all the nations, there remains a small “one bull and one ram” [one bull and one ram: one bull and one ram – the offering of Shemini Atzeres]. It’s literally the story.

The Principle: One Cannot Fix Oneself Without a Plan for the Whole World

So, what does this mean to say? It means that truly, a person cannot fix himself alone without having a plan to fix the whole world. But how will one do the plan? First one must think of all Jews. If someone thinks, this is very important, if someone thinks that he can jump to only himself alone, I don’t know if there is such a step at all, because Shemini Atzeres is also for Knesses Yisroel [Knesses Yisroel: the entire Jewish people], not for one Jew.

The Problem of Exclusivity in Batei Midrash

If there is a place, if there is, I already said, on Yom Kippur such a holy beis hamedrash [beis hamedrash: house of Torah study], such a holy day, all Jews were allowed to come in. You think, people think this way, that there are holier batei midrash and less holy batei midrash. There come in all kinds of random guests [random guests: random guests] and all kinds of people who need to say Kaddish [Kaddish: the prayer for the deceased] for their grandfather who was perhaps still honest and so on. And then the very holy beis hamedrash, there is a big sign, “here there is no entry with a smartphone” [here there is no entry with a smartphone: here one does not enter with a smartphone]. And the even holier beis hamedrash has a sign, “here we do not let in” [here we do not let in: here we do not let in], I’m taking the beis hamedrash, whoever believes that it could perhaps be good for the Jews of the Zionists, may not enter the beis hamedrash, you know? I’m taking such a beis hamedrash. And the holier it is the more constricted [constricted: narrower, more limited].

Yom Kippur as Anti-Thesis: The Thirteen Attributes of Mercy

And meanwhile, and we have many yomim tovim and many Shabbosos, now a normal yom tov, and normal Shabbos, and in… one doesn’t let in, not holy enough. On Kippur there stands a big sign on the threshold of Yom Kippur, it says all smartphones are let in. Why? Because one must realize, there are many reasons [reasons: reasons] for this, because the first reason is because one cannot go with Moshe Rabbeinu’s way. This is the way of the sitra achra [sitra achra: the other side, the side of impurity]. The sitra achra, the yetzer hara [yetzer hara: the evil inclination], the Chozeh of Lublin, says as he says, leave off all the group, make a division, and I know in service of God [service of God: service of God], only the few honest Jews will remain with me. This is the opposite of mercy, the opposite of the holiness of Yom Kippur, of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy [Thirteen Attributes of Mercy: the thirteen attributes of mercy] that the Almighty showed to Moshe Rabbeinu. Later He showed him this. The Almighty showed that the Almighty is merciful and gracious [merciful and gracious: merciful and gracious], He needs all Jews to be. Why? Because one cannot work together. It’s a very basic reason, even according to common sense [according to common sense: according to common sense]. It must be that one can be an angel every worm is a virus, because otherwise the world doesn’t work out. Truly the whole world. “And also Noach You remembered with abundant mercy” [and also Noach You remembered with abundant mercy: and also Noah You remembered with much mercy]. Okay, maybe not the whole world, through the few million Jews that are here, it’s not so many people, I can give you advice, okay? I can’t do more than this.

Practical Observation: There Aren’t So Many Jews

But among the Jews there are also twelve tribes [tribes: tribes], and there are also all kinds of groups of Jews, and a person thinks this way… I don’t know if it’s so far-fetched, by the way. One can get an email list of literally every Jew, right? It shouldn’t be so hard, it’s not so many people. Walmart has a bigger email list than all the Jews that exist in the world. Why should it be so hard that I should send everything at once to every Jew? Not fourteen million Jews. But if people would know, how much is fourteen million Jews? It’s nothing. Fourteen million is fewer people who live in New York City. I’m telling you, Walmart has a bigger email list. Master of the entire world [Master of the entire world: God of the entire world], how many people are we talking about already? We can’t give ourselves advice with these few people? It must be very realistic. But if not, it’s still a lot of people fourteen million, you say. One minyan, already. First the three people that we speak with, they should be able to speak to each other. From one person, until myself. It cannot go.

The Practical Plan: Start Small and Grow

Anyways, this is my plan. Like we have a shiur every week. There it begins. It’s the first. With God’s help. With God’s help. One must… It will begin in reverse. That’s how it must be. One will begin somewhere. With God’s help. With God’s help after yom tov we will begin Shemonah Perakim from the beginning [Shemonah Perakim from the beginning: the Eight Chapters of Rambam’s introduction to Pirkei Avos, from the beginning]. That’s the plan that occurred to me, and if you don’t agree with you, you can make your own ways, reasons, if you hold. I feel that there I don’t know already, we’ll answer in the beginning, review [review: review] what it says, and if we’ll learn new things, if not we’ll remember the old thing, and then we’ll arrive, supposedly one already knows everything until chapter four [chapter four: chapter four] where we’re holding, so we’ll go very fast. Now, you want? But anyways, and then one goes further. Good plan, truly. This is my plan for doing teshuvah.

Logistical Notes About the Upcoming Shiurim

Next week there will supposedly be a shiur, it would be more about yom tov, I hope there is a shiur, people are here. Next week? It’s Sukkos. I need to build a sukkah? I don’t know. Everyone finishes their mitzvos. If there are people, come, come.

Blessing at the End: For Everyone

Already, people should make it very good, and figure out everything good for the whole world, and for all Jews, and for the… let’s say that one may, I don’t know if one may say for the Jews who are more like religious, I don’t know if one should say such a thing, and among them [among them: among them] for each one should be his community and his family and himself, and then back in reverse until one runs over the nags.