Parshas Va'era: Bring Your Livestock Indoors!

What if the path to spiritual fulfillment was as simple as bringing your livestock indoors? Explore the essence of becoming a God-fearing individual through the teachings of Parshas Va'era. The Egyptians' response to the plague of hail teaches us that even basic acts of compliance can lead us to Yiras Hashem, or fear of God. Through the perspectives of Rabbi Yisrael Salanter and Rabbi Ruchem Levovitz, we unpack how fear of punishment can transform one's spiritual state, elevating us to those who heed divine warnings.

Our journey continues with the metaphor of a man finding a water bottle on the street, illustrating the profound concept of Yirat Shamayim, or fear of heaven. Just as physical caution guides our everyday decisions, so too does spiritual observance shape our adherence to religious law. Drawing on the wisdom of Jewish sages like Shlomo Ha-Melech and insights from the Ramchal in Mesilas Yisharim, we highlight the importance of cultivating a fear of sin as a core trait for aspiring God-fearers, striving for spiritual perfection by aligning actions with divine will.

Finally, we delve into the transformative power of Musser study, urging listeners to find an ethical text that resonates with them. By examining the teachings of the Ramban and contemplating the journey of Yiras Shomayim, we emphasize recognizing God's power in life, punishment, and reward as foundational to Jewish faith. Join us in striving to embody the qualities of those who fear God's word, fostering a deeper commitment to religious life and spiritual growth.

Chapters

• 0:00 Becoming a God-Fearing Jew
• 8:03 The Importance of Fear of Heaven
• 15:53 Acquiring the Fear of Heaven
• 30:15 Striving to Become God-Fearers

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Oh, just how easy it is. It's a cinch, easy peasy lemon squeezy to accomplish this incredible feat. But before we jump into it, we must make ourselves aware that Parshas Val'era deals with Hashem dismembering the Egyptians, hashem dismembering the Egyptians, man by man, individual by individual, limb by limb, plagues of godly manifestation raining down upon the Mitzvah. And it's a pleasure to read because in this instant replay, we know who wins and we know to the fate of each nation. But our talk begins by the following words of Oidcha Mestoilel Ba'ami Levilti Shalcham, the Parsha nicknaming Paro as the one who is, who is continuing to thwart thy people, not sending the Jews out. You are so defiant, so numb.

Speaker 1: 1:20

The next plague A raining down of fiery, icy, heavy hail. At this time on the morrow, there's never been such hail in all of time in Egypt, since the day it was founded until now, never such hell. What should you do about it? The Almighty, the Avishdor, the Omni present, continues you shall order that all your livestock, everything that you own, everything that you own, everything that is you that you'll find in the field, even your John Deere tractor, bring it inside so that it shall not perish when the hail comes down upon them. A forewarning, a notification upon their screen to tell them stay outside, leave your business uncovered and they will perish when the hail comes down.

Speaker 1: 2:55

Continues the Torah that those Egyptians that feared Hashem, they brought their possessions, their livestock, everything indoors into safety. They listened, they listened. They left their animals, businesses and things of the like out there in the open. There is a clear warning here for the Egyptians. But yet something incredible comes to our attention in this short reading of 4 Pesachim. Short reading of 4 Pesachim. The Torah you may have missed says that those individuals that brought their livestock, their businesses, inside indoors. The Torah elevates itself. In a way. It tells us God's word Of those Egyptians. They brought their animals inside and they were spared During the roaring twenties.

Speaker 1: 4:15

It shows us how simple it is, fellows, to acquire another notch in your belt, another metal upon your lapel in Judaism, of being called a Yorei, a Stavar Hashem, a Fuhrer of God's Word, a Baal Yerashomayim, a God-fearing Jew. How simple it is that, even the Egyptians, they earned that title of Yarei Estavar Hashem. Why? Because those that brought their animals inside, they listened to the word of God and they were knighted as Hayarei Estavar Hashem. What we see here is Kama Nokel.

Speaker 1: 5:04

How simple, how easy and simple it truly is to become, underneath the class, of a God-fearing Jew, is what crowns any Mussar safer, chapter 24, 25, of Mesil HaShisharim, to become God-fearing. It's how the Gemara questions is it really a Milsa Zutrata? Is it really easy? Of Mo Hashem, shoyom Eimach, kim L'Yiras Hashem, is it really something simple to become a God-fearing Jew that, all of a sudden, the Egyptians, gentiles, non-jews, should earn the title of? Because of what? And can it possibly be that they acquired one of these top-level acquisitions upon their soul To be deemed Hayyorei Estavar Hashem. Yes, yes, yes, yes.

Speaker 1: 6:16

Rabbi Yisrael Solanter and Rabbi Ruchem Levovitz point out, the ticket to the club of becoming a Yerushalayim is this level of most simply becoming somebody that notices that God predicts, presumes, foretells of a certain outcome that will be, and if you shall act in accordance with God's, will you change your action because of even a fear of punishment? Thou art a bal yira divar Hashem. You have become somebody that is frankly afraid of punishment, but you take the word of God seriously. You either close your business on the Saturday, bring your animals inside. There's a most famous parable from Abishal Salanter, the great launcher, creator of the Muslim movement, where he is discussing the point of Yerushalayim becoming God-fearing. It is lofty, but he describes a certain basic attribute of God have heard it that if someone should walk over to you and say Did you hear the parable of Rabbi Saul's salanter about Yerushalayim it's that one that has to do with the cup that you'll probably say yeah, I've heard it a million times, but it never gets old.

Speaker 1: 8:03

And especially for those that haven't heard it, there's a fellow walking who's absolutely parched on the way, his throat craving some fresh golden H2O liquid to quench his thirst and give him a sense of a reboot, and he finally finds this beautiful, incredible, extraordinary, perfectly intact Deer Park water bottle. He's about to pick it up and drink it. You can hardly believe his fortune. This is what he's been looking for and somebody left it right here on the street. But then he thinks wait a second, it's too simple. Has anybody put this here as a trap? Is there something wrong with this water? A doctor walks by and he asks him is there anything wrong with this water? The doctor examines it, looks closely and says no, there's nothing wrong with this. This is a classic bottle of H2O and enjoy.

Speaker 1: 9:01

Another fellow, a balabas, who's walking out of shul. He turns to and says have you heard anything about this water? Does it look like water? Is it water? Can I drink this? I'm very thirsty. And the balabos says of course you can drink it, there's absolutely nothing wrong with it. It was put there by Moishi earlier today when he just had an extra water bottle.

Speaker 1: 9:30

But then all of a sudden the town fool comes stumbling about down the block, walks right past this fellow and says that water bottle, there is zyklon b. Inside that water bottle there is poison. I was somebody. I've put some poison inside the water bottle just this morning, waiting to see if anyone would drink it. Laughing in this odd kind of crumb and poor way, painful way. The fellow looks back and says you sure, everyone else said it's fine. But then again the town fool, drooling, maybe even wearing his pants backwards, says no, I put something that's poisonous and will kill anyone. It's an experiment. You want to drink it, give it a chance. Experiment. You want to drink it, give it a chance.

Speaker 1: 10:28

B'sharl Salanter says that's us, ladies and gentlemen. We have been taught that how proper water Torah Yerushalayim and following the Shulchan Aruch is. But if there's even the slightest doubt in your mind, even from the craziest fellow of the shul, somebody that has absolutely lost his mind in an insane asylum, but he has told you to drink the water because there's some poison in it. Would you dare take that risk? Absolutely not. Nobody would. You would walk down the block and hit the 7-Eleven. Just not worth it to take the risk.

Speaker 1: 11:06

And Yerushalayim, rabbi Stolos Alanter says we've all been encouraged, taught, guided to the place of the promised land, which is a life of fear of heaven and following the Shulchan Aruch. But when it comes to life or death, such serious issues, stuff that our soul lives and dies upon, even if there's the slightest doubt as to maybe I should not do it, is it really worth the risk? Absolutely not, yerushalayim. Even when it's a suffix, you'll think to yourself. Of course, I know that there's going to be ultimate retribution. So how is it that anyone could ever violate the Shulchan Aruch? Just maybe, maybe Yosef Cairo was right, just maybe Rambam was right, just maybe Moses was right. And maybe, maybe, maybe I am wasting my life away and just maybe, even though my Rebby sounds like that crazy person yelling at me, I put poison in the water.

Speaker 1: 12:09

But even if it's a doubt upon doubt, would you take the risk? Certainly not For Yerashamayim. Come and knock on how plain and simple it is. Because if you have even the slightest fear we see here of personal harm, you could be a Gentile. But you are afraid that Moses said that God Almighty said that there will be a forthcoming plague and you merely act accordingly. You don't drink the water. You follow maybe even the crazy man that's saying that there's poison in this Kvar.

Speaker 1: 12:48

Nikra yorei shemayim, you have acted in accordance with God's word. You are considered, deemed, knighted as a God-fearing Jew. Shlomo ha-melech ha-lova shalom, after seeing, trying and searching all over the world for the point of life, concluded that fear of heaven is where it's at. That is 100 of 100, 100%. That is the golden jewel in the crown of what a person can become. So we search for it all day, all night. Yer HaShemayim, for this Milah, it's what it means to be a Jew. But we always run into the same stumbling block.

Speaker 1: 13:36

Anyone who's opened up even the table of context, the Mafteach of the Mesilas Yisharim, ramchal's great magnum opus, of his many magnum opuses and tordivoses, will find that chapter 24 is where you'll find, on the rungs of the Mesilas Yisharim of Pinchas ben Yoir, and this brisa of Lifnei Adenhain of Mesechda, avay da zara, that it is chapter 24,. One of the highest rungs that a person can achieve is that of yira of fear. Beveir yiras hacheit. The chapter's called Fear acting accordance with God's will, because you're afraid to sin. It is something so high that he begins this paragraph that he neirai senu hamida hazois says Ramchal about fear of heaven, that it is only fitting that it is here because it is following the, something so central, something so honorable and so challenging to acquire it. But yet here the Torah tells us that it is simple. Because while Ramchal may be discussing Yeretz, haroy Mimos, high levels of fear, high levels of fear, indeed fear of ever violating perfection, ever acting outside of the guidelines of perfection, and how Hashem organized the world is something that is truly special. But come a nook of Yerushalem and how Hashem organized the world is something that is truly special. But come and knuckle your ass, hashem, that the Torah tells us that if you are merely afraid of punishment, that when I'm 120, maybe it is, maybe it is that my Rebbe was right that I will have to burn just a bit of an H-E double hockey stick, maybe, maybe, maybe the Shulchan Aruch knows what he's talking about and I should be so scrupulous about every single detail Because of possible poor outcomes.

Speaker 1: 15:53

Kfar Nikra, yorei Shomayim A Yorei Estavar Hashem, the attribute in its most, maybe, level. One level has been acquired. You're fearful of punishment. You're fearful of something personal, not even godlike. Very, very gosh me. It's like that. You're afraid to wake up late because maybe God will one day punish me. You have reached one of the highest level, highest levels of Judaism. Alavai, rabbi Urcham says Alavai, may it please be that we'd all be at least Egyptians. He says it facetiously alavai, that we should all take what we learn and see to heart.

Speaker 1: 16:47

The Ramban says and say for Dvar Moshe, rabbeinu's final will achrei Hashem elekim, achrei Hashem elekeichem teyleichu ve'aysu tirau, ve'as mitzvay sov t. The Torah tells us that you should revere God, follow God, follow the commandments, listen to orders, and you should worship God and should hold fast in his commandments. The Ramban comments what does it mean? That you should be somebody that is fearful? This, again, incredible attribute. How can you acquire it inside of your belt of accomplishments in your quest towards God? The Ramban says, and I quote word for word, that you believe that it is within God's ability to give life and to kill and to reward and to punish.

Speaker 1: 18:09

The very definition of becoming somebody, of ve'oso tira'u, of fearing of God, is the very basic quest of human survival. That it could possibly be that God could punish me. Boom, yerashamayim, you're scared that you're going to lose your business, so you close it up, so you don't get hit by the hailstorm. Who wouldn't do that? Boom, yerashamayim.

Speaker 1: 18:39

The Saba Mikhaim elaborates V'yari Yisrael, yod Ha'akadol, yisrael, yisrael, yisrael, yisrael, yisrael, yisrael, yisrael, yisrael, yisrael, yisrael, yisrael, yisrael, yisrael, yisrael, yisrael. Beginning of your quest of discovering the Almighty is a very basic fear of own personal wants, of not wanting for punishment, not longing for destruction. That when, that's in order, basic understanding of that if I shall sin, it's God's world and he has told me, thou shall not violate my word. And therefore, when I have my snooze button right there, but my alarm is beeping and I don't hit the snooze button, not because of my yiras haroimimus, not because of my greatness or how badly I want to bring towards my shleimos my wholesomeness, but just because the very low level of God's world and he will be mad at me if I don't. Boom, yare Shemaim, nikra, vayir Omas Hashem, they act accordingly, even the Egyptians or the Israelites, vayaminu and everything else after the basic fear of punishment falls into place. Everything else, after the basic fear of punishment falls into place, as we see, a self-centered driven fear, still blapped. It still is deemed, but if we should now flip the record over sharply to be contrasted with this idea, continue on in our reading to find the fortune of those that did not bring their animals inside.

Speaker 1: 20:33

The verse continues but those that did not place their heart and paid no regard to the word of Hashem. They left all their animals and livestock out in the open, not paying attention, not heeding the call, not listening to the notification that Morusha Rabbeinu delivered that thou shall be punished if you leave your animals and business outside. Everything was utterly destroyed and dismembered. They lost their fortune, their 401k down the drains. They lacked fear of heaven. They lacked this basic fear of punishment from he who can reward and punish. But why? Why did they not bring their animals inside? Is it because they did not acquire the attribute of the fear of heaven? Were they not fearful of punishment? No, no, no. God testifies as to why they did not bring their animals inside.

Speaker 1: 21:52

Quote he who chose to ignore, to play oblivious, turn their back and shut their eyes upon what God and Moshe has said. Mute that notification. He is the one that is the opposite of Yerushalayim, somebody who fails to some lebo, fails to som-lebo to take to heart the messages he has heard and received, he who does not change his ways and actually bring his animals inside because of the sugyas and musrashwuzni, as heard. He is the one who is the opposite, the antithesis and the other side of the record of Yirashomayim. These Jews, these Egyptians, no matter who it is, if you fail to act accordingly, it is not just because you do not understand what God wants, even if the Egyptians, or a Jew who is struggling to keep Shulchan Aruch, struggling to understand its importance, will be fluent in Talmud Bavli, fluent Tur. Shulchan Aruch, rambam Kesef, mishnah, all 13 of the creeds of Ani, mammon, of Maimonides.

Speaker 1: 23:15

Even if you may have downloaded Shulchan, orekha, orekha, yimtaz, mogenev, rom Mishneburu into your brain and, using AI, have fully ingested and internalized all of the Orekha Shulchan A to Z, the Red Orezvahadar edition. It does not mean that you will follow unless you are some libo and you make the information personal. It does not mean that you will follow Unless you are some lebo and you make the information personal, unless you make the information the concentration of your heart. Unless you choose to pay attention and to notice and to understand the importance of just how critical it is to follow Hashem's, will Pull yourself out of bed to daven shachris, not just because you know the halacha, but because the halacha matters to you and you understand what's at stake. Even the mere fact that there's punishment waiting, that that's how you become Level one, even even cross the boundary into the camp of becoming a Yari Estavar, hashem and truly God-fearing.

Speaker 1: 24:25

Who can in all honesty say that they don't have access to the halacha? Who can honestly say they don't have the ability to buy an English edition of Mishnah Baruch, an English elucidated, highlighted, easy-to-read kids edition of Kitzershoch and Aruch? There's endless books. You don't like reading. You're not a listener but more of a visual learner. There's books, there's diagrams, there's graphs, there's videos, websites, everything to understand God's will.

Speaker 1: 25:02

So why does one fail in this regard? Because he may know the information, he may have the rabbi on speed dial, but it's in his head and not in his heart. He did not place his heart upon the information, he did not internalize it, he did not focus, he did not understand just how real to him and personal. It is the Egyptians. It's very likely understood what would be coming, but they heeded not, they disregarded and ignored. How can this be done? How can one ingest, internalize, take to heart, ingest, internalize, take to heart God's holy, fiery, effervescent law?

Speaker 1: 26:11

The answer that I have been taught from my rabbis is simple. It is called Musser. Musser is what to many people think is some spiritual practice, ethical, moral conduct. Some people say it's all about cultivating good virtues and characteristics, helping people, tikkun olam, changing the world. That's what Rabbi Yisrael Solanter wanted, maybe, but what Musser really is, what I was taught, is a tool that makes Torah personal. It is a sort of shot for the body, a syringe to squirt the burning, hot, bubbly waters of Torah down your throat, to make it alive for you.

Speaker 1: 27:04

Musser preaches a meditating on these ideas and with a heart alive, with an increasing excitement, saying the words over and over understanding how personal they are, with meditation, with placing your heart on something, with making it real to you, really Understanding that it's my personal obligation to do something. The tool of Mussar is one of the most simple and easy ways to make Torah Some libo, fall upon your heart. But, frankly, I'll live over Chovos ha-levavos, mailos ha-mussar, mesilas, yeshorim orchos, sadikim Toimer, devorah Sha'ar, etshuva, madregas ha-adam, chesh boina, nefesh Eni, igeras ha-mussar. Pick, pick your poison of the countless Mussar works. But anything, even meditate. Learn any bit of Mussar that tells you just how personal your obligations are.

Speaker 1: 28:15

Listen to lectures that rebuke. Listen to lectures that rebuke. Listen to discipline. Listen to wholesome, inspiring lectures that get you to understand what's to be gained and God forbid what's to be lost. If you want fails to internalize to some Liba Yadvar Hashem, maybe it's give to your friends or accept it from a friend. But to be inspired to live alive with a fiery heart about shulchan aruch, to be some liba y'al-dvar Hashem and bring your animals inside to act, to act even for a fear of punishment.

Speaker 1: 28:59

Musr is that tool. It's what we've been taught. The yeshiva movement, together with the Musser movement, has become quite the marriage, the Slabodka movement, which was Musser and Tyra together, given to Aaron Cutler, given down here To every single Jew. That is the way. Learn the laws, learn the information, understand what God wants with clarity. Break your head trying to fight to understand God's will and then take it down. Chase the shot Of Yirash Shomayim, of Yediyah Zatayrah with Mussar, of Eliyahu Lapyan, the Talmud of Mataseo Solomon, or maybe it's the other way around. Maybe Rabbi Lapyan taught Mataseo Solomon, and Rabbi Lapyan let's put him as the Talmud of Kelm of Rabbi Simchas Yisrael Ziv. He summed it up quite poetically and succinctly Now, musser teaches the heart what the mind already understands.

Speaker 1: 30:15

Alivai, ladies and gentlemen, alivai, that our problem should be Yedias Ataira, lacking the information of how to live a life that God wants, because that's not our problem. Anyone with a brain in his head can access Yediyah Sateira. There's millions of avenues, but to push it down and stuff it into your heart, that's what we're here for, that's what we're trying to do. And alavai, alavai, alavai, let it be that one day, through Musser study, through a Sefer that hits you in the heart, not just what everyone learns, you select the chapter of the one Musser Sefer that slaps you around and opens up your heart, to make you feel alive, to make you feel that you actually want to now bring your animals inside. When you study in depth and with real passion, that safer over and over reminding yourself of these truths, so that you actually act upon your ideas, your Torah, then, alavai, we reach that level of becoming Mitzrim, egyptians that are Yarei, estavar, hashem, and bring your animals inside, those individuals who brought their livestock, their slaves, indoors to safety. They are those who are the individuals who are called the fearers of the word of God, and it is Mitzrim that we should try to strive to be like in this area.

Speaker 1: 31:57

You may think Yerushalayim comes at the end of Koheles because it's so tedious, and you may think that Yerushalayim is the 24th chapter. Yerushalayim the 24th chapter of Messiah, because it has to be, because it is so cumbersome to acquire. But there is an ability to jump upon the mountain of Yerushalayim and to be knighted as a God-fearer, very simply, whether it be level 1 or level 10, at least to make it into the fraternity of Yerushalayim. Is you're scared? You're scared? Maybe there is poison in the water? Maybe, oh just maybe, all these crazy rabbis were right. But who would take the risk?

Speaker 1: 32:49

I still get to be alive and enjoy my life and be a religious Jew. God has given you an avenue to all of it. Hayarei estavar Hashem. If you are fearful of some poor outcomes and personal harm, and therefore choose to act better, choose not to flip the light on on Shabbos, choose not to open yourself up to immorality and choose to wake up early for prayers to put in every minute that you have to further amass Amilos, batayra and Yediasatayra while chasing it with Musser. Musser that makes it hit the heart and pushes it down, to make it real for us and to teach our heart what our head already knows. That is somebody who is Egyptian-like and is knighted as Hayare Estevar Hashem. Act accordingly and bring your animals inside and become a fearer of the word of the Almighty.