YOM KIPPUR LESSONS FROM MODULE 17 OF MY REAL ESTATE COURSE

A simple lesson from a real estate course—every deal starts with a purchase agreement—sparked a new way to hear the High Holiday plea “Zachreinu L’Chaim.” We explored how a contract sets price, terms, and intent long before money or keys change hands, and how that same structure clarifies what we really ask for when we ask for life. If God wants to give life and we want to receive it, what keeps the deal from closing? The missing clause might be the most important one: “for Your sake.”

We walk through the tension between wanting good things and wanting them for a purpose beyond ourselves. Titles and paychecks vary—broker, barber, dentist, rebbe—but the true appraisal of a life depends on whether work, family, and learning advance a higher will. By translating liturgy into the logic of a transaction, we show how “l’maancha” turns vague desire into aligned intent, shifting prayers from “give me because I want” to “give me so I can build, serve, and uplift.” That reframing transforms tuition into investment in souls, labor into service, and daily routines into a mission that outlasts trends and ego.

Along the way, we share concrete examples of aligning jobs and goals with purpose, and we draw out the post-closing truth: stewardship begins after the grant. A year of life isn’t just a gift; it’s an assignment. If you’ve felt your prayers stalled in escrow, this conversation offers language and mindset to move toward a meaningful close—one where your time, money, and effort flow into something that matters.

If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend who’s wrestling with purpose, and leave a quick review with your “for Your sake” clause—we’d love to read it on a future episode.

Chapters

• 0:01 Course Progress And Daily Routine
• 0:41 Real Estate Contract 101
• 1:09 A Contract As Prayer Metaphor
• 1:39 If Both Want Life, What’s Missing?
• 2:16 What Kind Of Life Counts
• 3:00 Aligning Wants With Divine Will
• 4:00 Making Work Serve A Higher Plan

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

I'm up to module 17 out of 30 on my self-paced online New Jersey real estate licensing course. My gold to secure my real estate New Jersey license and represent a broker to connect buyers and sellers in commercial and residential real estate endeavors. I think it's a good way for me to fulfill my Ksuba and support my family. And that's what I'm doing during Elzman, at least in the afternoons. The mornings are spent at Yeshiva, the evenings spent spent on the night, but often on the motivation congregation, creating motivational, inspirational, hopefully educational and informative Torah content. But anyway, just yesterday, when I was finishing up module 17 of this course, I learned that step one in a real estate transaction is to have an SPA to have a contract of sale, a real estate purchase agreement. This is long before either money or the keys change hands in a real estate transaction, but basically it's when both parties, the buyer and the seller, actually come together and agree at a set price, and they complete the terms. It's exactly this. That is a perfect mushle of what we're doveting for on the high holidays in something that maybe you never thought about. Should pique your interest when you scream out to Hashem, Zahrainulchaim, God remember us. What do we want in this contract with God, this agreement? Zahreinulchaim, remember us for life. We want life. Melachetzbachayim. Because God, who is the seller, he also desires life. So what more needs to be said? Zochinul Chaiim, Melchophizbahaim, Lamantra Kimchaim. What why are we asking for life if a seller wants to give life? God wants to give life and the buyer wants life. So why isn't it happening? Why are there more steps? Why are we crying? Saying, please make it happen. If God wants it and we want it, then what is the impediment? Let the contract proceed. Let the money change hands, let it happen, let life happen. But the answer is because there are many different types of lives. Great Rabbi Lezevnik of Presidential Expla Presidential Estate Shoulhir in Lake Odoraidavana Rashashana explained, you could live a life. As a wealthy investment broker, a hedge fund manager, barber, learning yeshiva, you could do really any job. But if it is merely just a furthering of your own pursuits and leisure activities, then you're utterly destitute. But if you may have the lowly job of being a dog walker or got garbage collector, pick your poison, you could be a dentist, you could be a rebe. If it is all to further the plan and the will of God, that is a life where you are tremendously, extraordinarily wealthy. You see, Zahrain alakhaim, God, remember us for life. Malachhofis Bakhayim, you want life and I want life. But what type of life are we trying to close on? Lemoncha elakimchaim. A life that's spent all furthering your will, your plans, your rot zone. We want a life that's spent in productivity of pushing forward the eternal's desire. God forbid, a person could spend his days crying, wanting, pleading. I want a child, I want, I want a spouse, I want to make money. It's all what he's crying for. But he could be asking, just give it to me because I want it. It seems like you missed the spot. You should say, God, I want it so that I can now be happy, and now I have a spouse, and I want to do it your will. I need it to further your rats on. I need some money so I can pay for my kids' tuition so that they can become God-fearing soldiers in your army. Then all of your money, all of your stridings, all of your dentistry, all of your teaching, all of your traffic, it's all the mancha elokimchaim, and that's a life worth living. And that's what you still need to accomplish after the regular buyer and seller's real estate purchase price agreement. You still need to proceed into the mancha elo Kimchaim phase. Like, God, you want life and I want life. But what are we actually trying to get to here? I'm crying out because I want my life to not be petty. I want it to be significant and meaningful. I want it to be a life that I'm furthering your will in the world.