The Emunah that Gets us Out of Exile (Vaeira)

In this episode we discuss the challenge of having faith in the darkness of exile, the unique level of faith it took for Israel to get out of Egypt, and the faith we need to get out of our own darkness, personal and national. This was given on the evening of the release of the first three hostages, so during the episode we're going to lightly touch on the emunah involved in the miracle of their release, as well as the challenges of the war we've been in for so long. I hope it will be an emotional, challenging, and meaningful journey.

If you want to follow along in the text, it is Nesiovs Shalom on Shemot page nun (50). You can find a pdf of the piece here.

This episode is sponsored anonymously for a refuah sheleimah for Sarah bat Tolsa and for general peace in Klal Yisrael. Thank you so much to this week's generous sponsor!

If you would like to sponsor an episode of the podcast, please email Rabbi Charnoff at rabbicharnoff@gmail.com.

Transcript

Rabbi Charnoff: 0:01

Hello everyone, this is Rabbi Robby Charnoff and you are listening to the Chassidus for Life podcast. The podcast where we learn a deep Chassidic insight on the Parsha every single week, usually from the Sefer Nesivo Shalom, and not only gain a new understanding of an aspect of the Parsha, but explore how it can lead us to a more meaningful, vibrant, and spiritually uplifted life. It's only the second episode and we're already going a little bit off script. You know, after I finished recording this week's episode with an amazing group on Zoom, I don't know, something was bothering me. I wasn't sure what, but something was nagging at me. So as I was about to teach another piece of Nesivo Shalom to a different group of students later that night, I grabbed my mic and turned it on just in case. And I'm so glad I did. There was something even more resonant and emotional about the piece that we learned. And that I'm excited to share with all of you. We're going to talk about the challenges of having Emunah in darkness and exile. The unique level of Emunah it took for Israel to get out of Egypt. And the Emunah we need to get out of our own darkness, personal and national. This year was given on the evening that the first three hostages were released. So over the course of the episode, more so in the second half, We're going to touch on the Emunah involved in the miracle of their release. as well as the challenge of the long war we've been in and are not completely out of yet. It's an emotional, challenging, and I hope, meaningful journey, but since this was recorded in a classroom and in front of a wonderful group of students that was live. The sound might be a little different and you might hear some cuts here and there. I think the content is more important than the high standard of quality I normally strive for, so I hope you let it slide for one week. Anyway, with all that in mind, if you want to follow along inside, you can open up a Tessivo Shalom Sefer Shemot to page Nun, and the piece entitled L'Chain Emor Livnei Yisrael Ani Hashem. Or simply go to the show notes for a link to a PDF. But feel free to just sit back, listen, and enjoy the ride. That's what most people do. This episode is sponsored anonymously for the Refuah Shlema of Sara Bat Tulsa, and for general peace in Klal Yisrael. Thank you so much to this week's anonymous sponsor. Your sponsorships are what make this podcast happen. If you would like to sponsor an episode of the podcast, please email rabbicharnoff at gmail dot com, or see the show notes for more details. All right, with that, let's jump into Parshat Va'era. We are on page none. We are in The peace begins by quoting the pasuk, lachen emor livnei Yisrael ani Hashem. tell Bnei Yisrael, Ani V'hotseyti etchem, I will take you out mitach from the servitude in Egypt. V'yitzalti etchem me'avodatam, and I will save you from working for them. VI and I will redeem you with an outstretched hand and with great signs and wonders. I will take you to be mine. I will be a God to you that I'm your God. So we have these four languages of redemption that come out in these and so is asking. why is it that when we have these four languages of redemption, why is the introduction to that, Therefore, tell B'nei Yisrael, I am Hashem. Why is that the introduction? V'chazal say, Ein lachin ela lashon shvuah. Chazal take it a step further, and they say that the word lachin here, therefore, tell B'nei Yisrael that lachin is a lashon of shvuah, of taking a swear. V'tzarich be'or. You have to understand. Les, why do we need this as an introduction to ha who telling us about the gula, how he's going to redeem us? Next paragraph, vi. We have to understand what it says in Al. That at the time when Moshe Rabbeinu came and said to Klal Yisrael, in this month you're going to be redeemed, top of the next column, Am Rulo, they said to him, Moshe Rabbeinu, Hey, ach anu nigalim, how can we be redeemed? The chol mitzrayim mitunefet mea avodah zara shalom. when all of Egypt is full of our avodah zara, of Klal Yisrael's avodah zara, how can we possibly be redeemed in this state? It back to them. Who wants your redemption? A not gonna look at your, he is not gonna pay attention to it. The at the beginning of the par, the verse. Hashem said to Moshe, I am Hashem, I am Yud Kei Vav Kei. Elokim al Hamitzriim, the Madrash says that the word Elokim was relating to the Mitzriim, the Egyptians. Ani Hashem al Yisrael, and the name Yud Kei Vav Kei was relating to Yisrael, meaning The Yiddish Tzvi Voshalom explains, dahaynu sheh klapey ha mitzriyim tahu midat ha din. That HaKadosh Baruch Hu was going to interact with Mitzrayim through midat ha din, through the aspect of strict judgment. Ve'ilu al Yisrael, but when it came to klal Yisrael, Ani yud kevav ke. I'm going to relate to them with the name Yud Key Vav Key. With Chasid and Rachamim, there's different names of HaKadosh Baruch Hu, and the different names of HaKadosh Baruch Hu, one aspect of that is that it's the different ways in which HaKadosh Baruch Hu chooses to interact with us. We'll get into this in future episodes, but the idea is, is that the name Elohim is a way of HaKadosh Baruch Hu relating to the world from a place of strict judgment. like, for example, an Elohim in Hebrew means a judge. A judge says, this is the law, this is what happened, either you're free to go or you're imprisoned. It's strict judgment. Yud Keh Vav Keh, however, It's an engagement with L'Asr MaKadosh doesn't limit itself to strict judgment. One example of that is, Yud is often associated because of its letters. with haya hoveh vihiyeh, that HaKadosh Baruch Hu was, is, and will be, that He's beyond space, He's beyond time, He's beyond limitations, and HaKadosh say, I override the law, I'm going beyond that, I'm choosing to act with you, with rachamim, I'm choosing to act with you, with mercy, with chesed, with kindness. So He's choosing to interact with klal Yisrael, with His name of Yud kei Vav kei, chesed and rachamim. And choosing to interact with Mitzrayim with the name Elokim, with the name of judgment. Okay, the Nesivo Shalom just quoted a lot of Midrashim and asked a few questions. the bottom line here is that God's introduction to redemption is the phrase L'chein emor li v'nei Yisrael ani HaShem Therefore tell Israel that I am God that I am Yud Kei Vav Kei, the name of kindness and mercy That's the introduction and with that in mind The Nesiv O'Sholem is now going to get into a lengthy discussion of Emunah of two different levels of emunah and about how B'nei Yisrael achieving that emunah through a recognition that Hashem was interacting with them with the name Yud K'vav K is what allowed that redemption to take place. Here we go. Va'abayor, says the Nesih Yerushalom. Va'abayor b'zeh dig'uulat Mitzrayim, harei ha'ita b'koach Emunah. The explanation of this is that the ge'ulah of Mitzrayim was all coming through Emunah. Through the strength of the Emunah of Qal Yisrael. of the faith of Qalaa Yisrael. chazar, as Chazal say in the Mechilta, vizchut emuna nigaelu avoltenu vimitzrayim. It was in the schus, in the merit of emuna, of faith, that our forefathers were taken out and redeemed from Egypt. Vizchut emuna titin li higael. And in the schus of emuna, they're going to be redeemed in the future. Redemption is dependent on emuna. Ukemo dichtiv, as it says, In, I think, last week's Parsha, Va'yishme'u, ki pakar HaShemet b'nei Yisrael. And the people, Ya'amayin, they had Emunah. And they heard that a Kadosh Baruch Hu had come to redeem Qal Yisrael. Uv'emunah yishvet inyanim. And In Emunah, there's two aspects. Top of the next page. Kimo she'be'arnu ma'amara katuf, as we explained in the Pasuk, the first of the S, the first of the 10 commandments, the mitzvah of the beginning of the S, that it's the mitzvah of Una that in this command are encompassed. Two aspects of Una. There's the Una of em. The first level is an Hashem. I am God shabo. There's the baseline level of Amuna, which is I am Hashem. I am God who created everything. Who guides everything. Who guides the whole world. He's in charge. That's the fundamental baseline of belief, of emunah. That's the first level. But there's another layer of emunah that He's bringing out here. Because the Asseret Sadibros don't just say Anokhi Hashem, what does it say? It's Va'amunah Av, Sha'anokhi Elokecha. Ha'elokim shelcha. That not only is there a God, not only is there a God who created the entire universe, not only is there a God who created the universe and guides everything, but I'm your God. There's a personal connection between Him and us. That He wants a relationship with me. I'm not just God. Anoch Yashem Elokecha. I'm your God. He Elokim Shelcha. That out of his love for us, he chose us to be his people. The who? And he's our God and that love. That choice of us is not dependent upon anything, and that's what it means. because the first of the continues on, I Am God. Who took you out of RA when you were in When you were in Egypt, you were on the 49th level of Tam. We talked about last week the. Ben Israel, and it was then even in the depths of each Israel when we were on the for ninth level of tma, we were at the lowest point that we could possibly be at. That's when he says, you're my firstborn. You are my chosen child. You are my chosen nation. S because I am your God. In all situations, it's an incredibly deep point. We often think of the concept of emunah being that I believe that God exists. I think that that is a floor of Anochi HaShem Elokecha and a floor of Emunah, but there must be so much more there, because it can't be that the first of the Aser HaJibra that it's limited to. It's the first thing God tells us. first thing he tells us is, I exist. It's like, I know! That's why I showed up to Har Sinai. That's why I'm standing at the mountain. I already believe you exist. What's the Avodah for life in Anochi HaShem Elokecha? So one deeper layer is, Anochi HaShem Elokecha. I'm not just God. I'm your God. It's a lifetime of relating to me, of connecting to me, of recognizing that everything that I'm doing is not just guiding the world, I'm guiding your world. I'm guiding everything for you. I'm guiding everything because I care about you. I'm taking care of you. I'm relating to you, and are you relating back to me? Kodesh Baruch Hu could have said, it's a famous question on the pasuk. He could have said, Yeru, who did what? Who created the entire universe. That's much more powerful. that seems much more fundamental to the existence of Akkadosh Baruch Hu. Why not say, I am the Lord your God who created the universe? Because it's totally and completely impersonal. And the goal of the Aseret HaDibrot wasn't just that Akkadosh Baruch Hu was speaking to the world, he's speaking to us. he chose us. He took us outta each tribe. He brought us to Haina. He's giving us the as road. He wants a relationship with us. it's a from shi sha at the, it explains this pasuk and it says, what's yo, what is the day of the wedding? Theara the end says, is, Matan Torah. took this gorgeous mountain, adorned it with beautiful flowers, and held it over our heads as the greatest chuppah in the history of the world. He gets married to us. He enters into a one-on-one relationship with us. He's committed to us and we're committed to him. We get married to a Q Boku. It's an incredibly, incredibly deep moment, it's a personal moment. It's an intimate moment. The fact that an infinite God wants a relationship with a finite human being, with a finite nation, with each and every one of us, that's a whole nother layer of Una to think about, to contemplate, to internalize. It relates to every single one of us. No matter who we are, no matter where we are, HaKadosh Baruch Hu wants a relationship with you. He's Elokei Cha. It's a whole nother layer of Emunah. That he specifically wants to relate to you, to be close to you, to be with you, and everything is being guided for you. That's the promise of the first of the Asseret Hadibrot. And the reason why it's a lifetime of votive is because I have to live up to that relationship over my lifetime. To continuously, at every moment of my life, work to better, better, better, become more of someone who deserves that love, and that guidance, and that connection, and is sharing in that relationship with HaKadosh Baruch Hu, giving it back in return. Anoch Yashem Elokecha. The bottom line is we're redeemed in the Schoss of Emunah and it seems that he's clarifying the Emunah from which we are redeemed. It's only in the merit of Emunah that we are redeemed from Egypt. And there's two layers to that Emunah. All right, let's go back inside. We're 10 lines from the top of the second page, page and an aleph. First line is zeh, zeh zeh ne'emar. So he says, vi'al zeh ne'emar, vayi'amein ha'am. About this it says that the people had emunah. She'hiseegu That they had achieved this second level of Amunah. Of, I am your God. Of relating to HaKadosh Baruch Hu in a personal way. HaMadrigah Rishonah Shi'Etzem Ha'Emunah Ba'HaShem Yiparach K'var Ha'Yitah Lahem Me'Az The first level, which is the essence of Emunah in HaShem. They already had. They always had. Ma'aminim B'nei Ma'aminim. we're Ma'aminim. We're believers, the sons of believers. We get our Emunah going all the way back to the Avos B'maus. Was already rooted in them from their forefathers, but they didn't have Una that in the low place that they were in the 49th level of T, they could possibly be proper for them to be redeemed. And that was what Moshe meant when he said he was worried. He said, I don't know. I can't go to cso. The nu, they're not gonna have UNA on me. He didn't have doubt in their baseline. He had a doubt in their personal relationship with them. Achein, meachar sheh sham'o mi Mosheh Rabbeinu, sheh kivan sheh hafeitz haKadosh Baruch Hu lega'alchem, eino mabit p'Avodah Zarah shelachem. Once, Klaal Yisrael heard from Moshe Rabbeinu that since God wanted to redeem them, he wasn't even going to Avodah Zarah that they were doing. Back to one of the first things we saw at the beginning. That Moshe Rabbeinu told them, don't worry, HaKadosh Baruch Hu is not going to look at your Avodah Zarah. He's going to turn a blind eye to it. ha'am, then they had emunah. Then they understood that HaKadosh Baruch Hu was interested in them, in taking care of them. He's okay to turn a blind eye to something, not because it didn't happen, and not because they don't need to do tshuva, but because He cares. Because He's in a loving relationship with us. Because He wants to redeem us. And that overrides it. It doesn't matter what we did. It matters in the sense of tshuva. It matters in the sense of being able to make up for the mistakes that we did. But ultimately, He loves us, and that love overrides even the Avora Zara that we did. Ve'im lechora be'amet kaseh, he'ach yitakhin she'no mabit. And he even brings this up, he says, on the surface it seems impossible. How could it be that HaKadosh Avora Zara? They did it. HaKadosh Baruch Hu is the God of truth. How does He turn a blind eye? V'chichit nitan lehitali mimenu. How can you turn a blind eye to Avot Az Zorah? Ella, rather, Ki ha'anagah im Yisrael hi b'bechinat Ani Hashem Ani Yud Kei Vavkei Becheseh uvarachamim Like we just said, because the anhaga, the way that a Kadesh Baruch interacts with Qalal Yisrael is on a level of Ani Yud Kei Vavkei I interact with you with chesed I interact with you with rachamim you're the children of HaKadosh Baruch Hu. Zoey needs chiyut, that's forever. In all situations, there's no restrictions, there's no conditions. We are his children, he cares about us. And that's why he's willing to turn a blind eye. It's not ignoring the problem. This is something which we dealt with on one level last week. Why HaKadosh Baruch Hu waited until we were on the 49th level of Tumma. We were all the way at the end in order to redeem us. We talked about the Kusta D'chiyutah, the spark of life, but there's another layer here. There's always different angles What's another reason why HaKadosh Baruch Hu waits specifically until we're on the 49th level of Tumma and only takes us out then? So then Shavuot He waits until we're at the end. He waits until we have nothing left. Because he wants us to understand, you know why I choose you? Because I love you. There's no other reason. If he chose us when we're at the bottom, if he chose us when we're at the fourteenth level of Tumah, if that's when he says, I want you, I choose you, there's never a place within the hearts of Kalash people to say, if I sin to that extent, if I become Tameh to that extent, if I become impure to that extent, HaKadosh Baruch Hu will reject me. HaKadosh Baruch Hu will abandon me. No, there is nothing that we can do to cause a Kadesh Baruch Hu to abandon us. There is nothing that we can do to cause a Kadesh Baruch Hu to reject us. Not nationally, not individually. There are times we feel like after what we've done, it can't be that a Kadesh Baruch Hu wants a relationship with me. No, Yaron, you are part of Klal Yisrael. And Klal Yisrael was intentionally born when they were at the end. They were intentionally born when they had nothing. To show us, for all of history, when we have nothing, Chas V'Shalom, or if you think you have nothing, Chas V'Shalom. That HaKadosh Baruch Hu still loves you, that HaKadosh Baruch Hu still chooses you. When I'm at my lowest and I think I don't deserve it, HaKadosh Baruch Hu says, I know, I knew there were gonna be times like this. It's like Mitzrayim all over again. And just like Mitzrayim, I'm putting out my hand, my yar chazakah, lo ayideh malach, lo ayideh saraf. There's no malach. There's no angel. There's no nothing. I'm putting out my hand to help lift you up. Why? Because I love you. Why? Because I care about you. B'ni b'chori Yisrael. You are my firstborn. You are my child. The same way, and see what's wrong, also means that in other places. The same way that you can't break the genetic bond between a parent and a child. Chas v'shom l'olino. There are situations where parents claim to, you know, disavow their children or reject their children or whatever it is. In very, very sad situations. And they can say that with words. They can say whatever they want. But at the end of the day, there's no such thing. You can't break that bond. HaKadosh Baruch Hu chooses that language specifically. B'ni b'chori Yisrael, you're my child. Nebach lo aleinu, a husband can divorce a wife. But a parent can never, ever, ever break the genetic bond with a child. Ever. HaKadosh Baruch Hu says, you are my firstborn child, and there are going to be times when you're going to do things that are so bad that I'm going to throw you out of the house. Get out of my house. I'm going to destroy the house. I don't even want you in there. I'll destroy the place of HaKadosh. But you think I don't love you? You think I'm not crying when I throw you out of the house? I'm doing it because I'm upset with you. I'm doing it to teach you. I'm doing it to make you be better. I'm doing it because I'm frustrated. Maybe it's just because I'm frustrated at you. But when I get past that frustration, underneath that frustration, at the end of the day, I love you. That can't be broken. That's HaKadosh Baruch Hu taking us out when we're at the 49th level of Tema. That's Him dafka choosing us when we're at the end. That's Him waiting until we're at the 49th level to take us out. That's Him saying to us, Anokhi Hashem Elokecha, I am Hashem, your God. This is about a loving relationship between God and cloud you solve for all time, A bond that can't be broken. That's the level of Emunah. The Klaal Yisrael achieved when they were in Yitzrayim, that's a level of Amunah that can bring anybody and anything out of exile, national exile and personal exile. If we believe that a Qadosh can come out. If you are at your lowest and you think, no, a Qadosh Baruch Hu is still with me. That gets you out. That's the road back. If you hear a Qadosh Baruch Hu saying, I know you've gone far away and we've got a lot of stuff to talk out and it's going to take some time. But I love you, and I'm here for you, and here's my hand. Here's my Yad Chazakah to pull you out of the depths of Tumor that you found yourself in. I'm here for you, and all I want for you is to come back. He finishes off the paragraph, and he says, four lines from the bottom of the paragraph, V'kasher shamuzot. When Qal Yisrael heard this, Then they believed they had that level of moon, and when they heard that Akkadosh Baruch Hu, again, not forgiving it. He's not forgetting it. He's not letting it go. He's saying, I don't care right now. You're in a dire situation. You're in a desperate place. And I want you. You're my child. I care about you. Have you made tremendous mistakes? Yes. Do we need to deal with them? Yes. And we will, but for right now. Forget the Avodah Zarah. You're my people. You're the people that I love. And that's all that matters. We'll deal with the avodah Zarah stuff later. We'll have to get through it later. We're going to struggle with it for many generations throughout history. We're going to deal with the Avodah Zarah. It's going to cost us a basic mcdosh. We'll deal with all this stuff. But I want you. And when they heard that, vayi amen haam, then they had the second level of amunah. Shehisegu dargat amunah, they achieved the level of amunah of, shehanochi Hashem elokecha, that I am Hashem your God. Bechol hamatzavim, no matter what the situation is. Was in, it was in the merit of this UNA that they were able to come out of mi and it's that we're able to come out again. That's what gets us out. It got us out before and the amount of it, no matter how difficult and how challenging and how painful things are, that a Kurdish borough who is guiding us with love and chose us and is with us and is taking care of us, that's what will get us out again. Doesn't take a lot to think back on the last few years and find national pain and personal pain. Whether you're thinking about COVID, whether you're thinking about October 7th, whether you're thinking about the war that's gone for a year and a half, or you're even thinking about the fact that today, today, a year and a half later, a year and a half later, people are going to walk out of the worst Golas that's ever been experienced and walk back into Eretz Yisrael and walk back into the arms of the Jewish people and their families. It can seem hopeless, and we can say that we don't understand what a Kadesh Baruch is doing, but a Chana, if you believe that I know what I'm doing and that everything's being done for a purpose, and I'm still with you, and I'm going to get you back. I'm going to redeem you. If you believe in that relationship, no matter how difficult things get, we will get through this. We will get through this. Next paragraph. And that's what a Kadosh Baruch means when he says, coming back all the way to the Pasuk that he quoted at the beginning of the piece. Therefore, tell B'nai Israel that I am Yedkei Vavkei. the preface to the announcement of the ULA of the redemption. He, what's the first thing you need to know? What was the premise of redemption? Tell them, Ani Hashem. Tell them, Ani Yud Kei Vav Kei. Tell them, I am the God of Chesed and Rachamim. That's what they need to know to have faith in themselves and in me that this Geula can happen. Hashem shal Chesed v'Rachamim, the name of Chesed and Rachamim. Sheh ah nah gah im Yisrael, hi v'Chesed v'Rachamim. That the way that God is guiding Chal Yisrael is with Chesed and Rachamim. V'zeh ah hak tah mah l'dah l'shonot shal Geula. And this is the introduction to the four languages of redemption. Amor li b'nei Yisrael, ani Hashem. Tell b'nei Yisrael, I am Hashem, I am Yud kei vav kei. Tashrish pahem ha emunah. Root within them the emunah, the faithfulness, the faith. Sha'ani mitnahegi mahem tamid b'chesed u'varachamim. That I engage with them, that I interact with them continuously. With chesed and rachamim. V'tieh Be'ahavat Hashem li Yisrael. That they should have a complete emunah, a clarity of emunah. Of how much HaKadosh Baruch Hu loves Qalal Yisrael. She'az ein naf kamina, in heim kein chot'im o lo chot'im. Ki lo olam ein HaKadosh Baruch Hu mashlich Yudim eitoi parach. Because then it doesn't matter. Are, do they sin or do they not sin? Are they sinners or are they not sinners? It doesn't matter. Because HaKadosh Baruch Hu will never throw off a Jew. If we're a child, it doesn't matter. A parent never throws away a child. A parent can get angry at a child. A parent can punish a child. A parent can even send a child out temporarily. But a parent never stops loving and caring for the child. And the parent always brings the child back. That's the promise here. That's the point. Ani yudke vavke. I will never throw you out. I will never not care about you. I'm picking you now. I'm choosing you now. I'm taking to you now because I care about you. U'le'achar ha'dal l'shanot shel ge'ula. And after I've got a sparkle, listen. the four languages of redemption. Ne'emar. V'idatem k'yani Hashem Elo keichem. And know that I am Hashem ke, your God. There's an extra level of love that a Kaddish Baruch who gives to Cloud Israel by calling them his children. By telling them that you are my children. Kilo, this extra level of love, top of the next column that you are made known to them. He's explaining it beautifully. He's saying, what's that extra level? What's that extra level of love? Meaning that he makes known to them how great they are. How great are you, Claudia? Sel, you're so great that I call you my children. That's what makes you great. That's what makes you so close to me. That's what makes you always connected to me. It's because you are my children. No. That there was this extra level of love that was made known to them. That I am Hashem, your God. I am your God. That's the level of love that Akadosh That's the level of amunah that he implanted within them, and that was what got them out of Mitsrayim, and will get us out of any galut. next paragraph. So here he says od. So he is going to give an alternative perspective here. He says O re, we can also explain, we can give a totally different explanation to this introduction of la. Therefore, based on what it says in the, Then HaKadosh Baruch Hu says to Abraham, Lech L'cha Me'artz meartzecha, the first thing HaKadosh to Abraham, Lech L'cha, go, go from your land. So the Medrash on the spot says, Mashal le'achad she'aya uver mimakom l'makom, v'ra'ab b'ira'achat doleket. It's a mashal to somebody who's going from place to place, and he sees this house that's totally lit up. Amar, teyamer shabira hazot b'li manhig? Are you really going to tell me that this huge mansion that's all lit up has nobody who's taking care of it, has nobody who's guiding it, has nobody who's in control of this house? He tzitz so the owner jumps out? The Amar land says, ani hu ba'al habira. I'm the owner of this mansion. the then concludes and says. So too says it's not possible that this world is going on and there's nobody guiding it. The second he recognizes that, that there must be somebody guiding the world, he who jumps out and says, I am the creator of the world. So says the Nesib O'Shalom, Um meva'arim ha mefarshim, sheh Avraham avinu ra'ah et ha dorot harishayim shayu lafanaf. The Mepharshim explained the matter as follows, that Avraham avinu saw the previous generations, the evil generations that had come before him. Dorot shel ha shchata, kimo dor enosh, ha mabul, va apalaga, the evil generations of Enosh, which created Avodah Zarah, the Mabul, the flood, the the door of Tower of ba, how the whole world was in a state of destruction. The whole world. It wasn't lit up, it was ma on fire and he was in wonderment. How could it be that there's no one guiding this? The the owner who jumps out? The owner, I'm the owner of this house. At this crazy insanity that's going on around us, this fire that's raging, who's guiding it from a very, very deep place, and everything is with everything is with divine guidance. Shani. I am the person who's running the show and the owner of this house, the owner of the world, the master of the universe. I know. Trust me, I got this as a Q. Yes. You're seeing insanity. You're seeing craziness. You're seeing the whole world's immediately fall apart. You're seeing Avodah Zar rise up just a few generations after Akkadosh Baruch Hu created the world. You're seeing the door of the Mubble where everybody has to be wiped out. You're seeing Dora Palaga where you're seeing people who making a tower to go and fight Akkadosh Baruch Hu. The world's on fire, spiritually. How could such a thing be? God says, don't worry, I got this. I got this. That's one explanation of the Medrash. But he's asking, how could it be? And Akkadosh Baruch Hu says, no, don't worry, it can be. And I am in charge. And you don't understand why all of this is happening, and that's okay. I'm in charge, and I know exactly what's going on. I don't understand how the last five years could have happened. I don't understand why domino after domino goes down where it seems like it's just an endless, an endless falling of dominoes of tragedy in the world. I don't understand why I had to live through this, and then live through that, and then go through this, and then go through that. I don't understand. The Angel of God of Spirituality says, yes, I understand that you don't understand, but have faith in me. I know what I'm doing. There is a plan here that you can't see. And I'm not asking you, I'm not asking you to say that it's not painful. And I'm not asking you to be at ease with it. And I'm not asking you to simply accept that ultimately it will be for the good in a way where you're just able to smile through the whole thing. And those are big levels to achieve and they're levels that can be achieved. But I'm not asking you that. I'm asking you baseline. Trust me. I'm in charge and I know what I'm doing. I know what I'm doing. And based on this, we can understand that. But she says therefore tell, because in the exile in Egypt before the redemption, there was an entire nation. the whole people. The entirety of Kal Yisrael was in Mitzrayim, experiencing excruciating, back breaking, soul crushing labor for 210 years. We're sitting here going, and the pain is real, and it's true. I'm not minimizing it. How could it be a year and a half of war? They were in servitude for 210 years. And in both cases, it's valid to go through the process of asking, how could it be? How could it be? U'mo'sheh ro'beinu amar la'shami parach Lama har'yot ha'lama zeh, lama zeh shilak tani Even Moshe Rabbeinu, whatever it means, at the very end of last week's parasha, parashat Shemot, when he goes to Paro like G d told him to, and Paro makes it worse! He says, do exactly what you were doing before, but I'm not giving you the supplies to make it happen. And the Jews get beaten worse, and they can't possibly succeed. Moshe Rabbeinu speaks what we often feel in these times of tragedy and darkness, where it seems like there's no way out, and it's not clear what a Kodesh Baruch is doing. He turns to a Kodesh Baruch, whatever it means, and says, La Mahare Ota, La Mazeh. He cries out on behalf of Klal Yisrael. And he says, how could you do evil to this people? La Mazeh Shalachtani, why did you send me at all? Wasn't the purpose, uba, why am I here? And because he feels the pain of KA in that moment. You think Mossino didn't have? Of course he did. But in those moments we can cry out and we can ask on whatever level we're holding, there's many pe What did even mean when he asked such a question?'cause we know he was a mommy the Al. But even so there was this. Amazement, this wonderment in Moshe Rabbeinu. Al roah matzavam shel Yisrael, this terrible situation that Qala Yisrael is in. Shehu b'chinat b'rad oleket, it looks like the world's on fire. Right, again, we can relate to this, this is our generation. It looks like the world's on fire. V'al Baruch Hu. And that's what ha'Kadosh Baruch Hu is, is back to Moshe Rabbeinu. L'chein emor lebenei Yisrael ani Hashem. Therefore, tell Yudkey vavkey. Ani hu bal habira. I'm in charge. This is my world. Don't worry. I'm in charge. Et ha'kol manhig haKadosh Everything is being guided by a Kadosh Baruch Hu with intense and tremendous and precise hashkacha. With precise divine providence. With everything being weighed out. and I want to be a thousand percent clear since In my head I was even weighing it out as I was saying it. Do I want to even mention the obvious connections to what's going on right now? I am in no way, shape or form, chas v'shalom lo aleinu. I, it frustrates me when others do such a thing. I don't claim to understand what's going on. I don't claim to explain away what's going on. I am in no way minimizing the pain. of the loss, the pain of the loss of the people who were killed on October 7th, the pain of the loss of all of the soldiers who have died in the interim, the pain of all the traumatized people and children who have been running to bomb shelters back and forth, the pain of being at war. I'm not minimizing any of that. And neither has B'Nasiv O'Shallom. He's bringing up the fact that we were 210 years in slavery. To emphasize that point. He's bringing up the fact that even most humans are kind of, What are you doing, Akadosh Baruch Hu? That in these moments, we can both have Amunah and both be, What the heck is going on? There are times, I'm sure you can reach back if you want to really humanize it. There are times, I'm sure you can go back, Where your parents said something to you, or did something to you, Or punished you in a certain way, Or interacted with you in a certain way, When there even wasn't a punishment, You were like, What's wrong with you? What were you doing? You were probably in your teens. Right? What's wrong with you? What are you doing? I don't understand. And maybe we never came to understand, Or maybe 5, 10, 15, 20 years later, we look back and we're like, Oh, I get that now. I understand. It doesn't take away the confusion, the pain, the tragedy, the trauma, none of that goes away. I'm not explaining any of that away. Chas Hashon, please, please, please don't take that from me. And definitely don't put those words in my mouth. I would never say such a thing. I'm not trying to explain any of it. What I am trying to say, what Shalom is telling us, is I'm not answering for any specific detail. I'm reminding you that in the Mitsrayim of life, and we've been living through two of them back to back, in the Mitsrayim of life, ani Hashem, I'm not asking you to understand what I'm doing. I'm asking you to stick with me and have faith in me and know that I care about you. And know that I'm crying with you. And know that I'm in pain with you. And know that there's a plan here, even though it is awful in this moment. At least give me that much credit, says the Kadesh Baruch Hu. At least give me that much credit. Give me that emunah. Give me emunah that if there's three people who need to come back, they're going to come back against all odds. And by the way, have emunah in me also. That their lives are not going to be simple after they come back. And that's part of the process also, and I'm not whitewashing that either. There's no simple answers here. There's no simple explanations here. I'm asking that just like I have faith in you, have a little faith in me. That I created, to hell and to say, that I created wars to be fought, that I created battles to be won, that I created reunions, and I created avelos also. I created all of those things. I get what this world is. I created it. Have a little bit of faith. Be in pain, be angry, be upset, be confused. That's okay. He's claiming that in the Madrash, which can be read many different ways, that there's, that Avram Avinu was like, I don't get it. That Moshe Bin is like, I don't get it. So good. We're no less than Moshe Avram Avinu. We're no less than Avram Avinu. That's fine. But who was the biggest Mamin of all time? Moshe Who loved the Ganesh Baruch Hu more than anybody else in the face of the planet? Abraham is the one who loves me more than anyone else in the history of the world. It's In Shea Opsukim, Opsukim. And Abraham was the one who said, I don't get why the world is on fire, but I love you. I believe in you. I want to understand, but regardless, I love you. It's two ways. It's almost like two mirror images here of what he's saying in the Yisroel Shalom. The Nakadosh Baruch Hu loves us no matter what. The Nakadosh Baruch Hu is saying love me no matter what and trust me no matter what. I'm here. I'm here, and there's a planet, and I'm asking to understand, and you can be in pain, and you can be frustrated, but please, please believe in me, and don't just believe that I exist. Believe in me, that there's something bigger going on here on a cosmic level that you can understand. And I'm here for you, ultimately, and that's the goal. And vizchut, and that's the whole point of vizchut ha'amunah ha'zot, and it's in the schutz of that amunah. Again, just be in their, in their sandals for a minute. 210 years in Egypt, building pyramids, 210 years building Pitom and Ramses and being beaten and being killed and being thrown into the river, 210 years in the schutz of their emunah that, oh, I didn't remember and now I do again, it's coming back to me, I'm re engaging it. HaKadosh Baruch Hu loves us and there's a plan here and we're going to get out. That's what we came up before. And Maybe I'm not claiming to understand. Maybe that's part of what we're going through. We're going through now. Can we get to a place where we can have a munah on a Kadesh Baruch Hu, even when it's challenging to, even when the world is on fire, even when things are upside down, can we have a munah on a Kadesh Baruch Hu? One more paragraph. Say all of these pars of ga of exile and leaving, they're relevant to every single one of us. And we've been opening that up based on the underlying premise, the New Sea Vhel the entire time. Let's see what he has to say. Let's hear him wrap up with one more paragraph. But of course it is. that's everything that Sea Vhel is, it relates to every single one of us. B'chol ha'galuyot she'over ba'olamo, in all of the levels of Galuts that exist in the world. U'kimo she'be'arnu ha'inyan, madua nikba goralo shel ha'am ha'nifchar, be'ofen she'kol yama v'tsufim tilaot, u'nidudim v'galut As we've explained, why is it that the nature of Klal Yisrael is, the chosen people, that their whole life, the whole life of Klal Yisrael, is difficulty after tragedy, golus after golus, mitchilat avayatam, from the moment that we become a nation, ve'gam acharei, and afterwards, she'zachu le'vilakachti yetzchem li'laam. Harei rov, top of the next page, Yimei hem, begalut ve'chashchut, the majority of our days are in exile and in darkness. Shukim Amram Zalas Chazal saying Yisrael Monim Levanah, Yisrael is like the Levanah, like the moon. Al bechashchut, just like the moon exists for the majority of its time in darkness. It only shines forth in its fullness one day out of each month. Kach so too by klal Yisrael. Shebazeh memal'im et ha'tafkid ha'gadol biyotir, this is how we fulfill our purpose in this world. Zohar shtichu t'shalomai Yisraelit. This is the job. This is the purpose of the chosen nation. V'hashlichut shel kol yachid, and the mission of every single individual. Sheyikayimu bevichinat ki eshov b'chol shech Hashem or li. That when I'm in darkness, the G d will choose my light. HaKadosh Baruch Hu Yesh Toma Lachem, V'Sarafim, LaRov, HaKadosh Baruch Hu has endless amounts of angels. He has angels all around him. What is he us? What is he lowly physical being, serving him for why he wants the service of a Jew, that despite all the darkness show that goes on in our lives. Yo, I know God is with me. Yes, it's dark nationally. Yes, it's dark in the world. Yes, we went through COVID. Yes, we went through a war. Yes, we went through Mitzrayim. Yes, we went through all kinds of dark times. The Holocaust, the Inquisition. Our history is littered with darkness and exile. That in that darkness, in that exile, in that difficulty, not wiping it away, not washing it away, not explaining it away, there's not explanation for it. But part of our avoda within that is, can lowly human beings in difficult situations which is an impossibly difficult situation Can we still remain faithful to He who is always faithful to us? Whether it's darkness in body or in soul. Whether a person in an individual level is going through a terrible illness. On a physical level. They had an injury, they got into an accident. Or on a spiritual level, neba something, depression, anxiety, whatever they're going through on a on, and they feel low and they feel down and they feel dark and the darkness of these are attacking us and making it seem like a Q who's not. When we're in these moments of individual exile, of individual darkness, of personal and private and deep, intimate challenge in our lives, things that people know about and all of the things that nobody knows about that we go through be scoot, we have to hold onto that Una because what gets us out. B'schut ha'amunah she'yudim ma'amin betochah chashchut, sha'ani hubal habira. B'schut in the amunah that a Jew knows, within that darkness, that there is a master of the universe. There is somebody guiding the show over here. And it will get better. He is in charge. He knows what he's doing. That's the amunah that allows us to come out. Sha'al yidei zeh ne'emar, l'chein emor levinei Yisrael hania Hashem. And again, back to that opening Pasuk. A Kaddish Baruch who says, Therefore tell Bnei yisrael, Ani Hashem, Ani Yud Kei Vav Kei. Sheb betochechei, Sheb betochechei biratoh hadoleket, Tza'ir liyudi ha'amuna shel hatsitz alav ba'al habira. That within this tremendous fire that the world is burning in, a Jew knows. He sees the owner of the house jump out at him. He sees a Kaddish Baruch who reveals himself and says, I'm here. I am running the show. Sha'al kol prat kichut ha'se'ara, every single detail down to a hair's breadth. Yesh ha'shkacha pratit, there is individualized ha'shkacha, there is divine providence on every single moment, every single second of every single moment of your life. Ve'ein shum tvi'ut, there's no such thing as nature, there's no such thing as natural causes. God is in charge and he is guiding your life with love and with care, even when it hurts. As the Ramban says at the end of par, it's incredibly strong words is the words of the Ramban. It's in, its Paris hum. It's one of the most important Ramban. It's the end of the last Ramban on par. He says, black on white. He has no place in it. Until you believe in everything in the world that there's no nature, nature doesn't play a role. There's no way of the world, everything that happens to us, even when it looks like nature, it's all a miracle. It's all coming from a q. He continues on, but we're out of time. So much here to take in. It's a very, very deep piece, and we're going into a very, very deep time, which is on the one hand to recognize Asher ha'tziticha me'eretz mitzrayim, that HaKadosh Baruch Hu, there's levels of emunah, there's a level of emunah of Anokhi Hashem, that HaKadosh Baruch Hu exists, but to remember elokecha, that He cares about you, He wants to connect with you, He loves you, He chose us, despite how much turmoil we're in, despite how far away we are, He chose us and He chose us then to show us He will always love us. That's why He chose us then. And in the emunah that we have, that He's choosing us, in the emunah that we have, that He loves us, that's what gets us out. and again, to be giving this now, to be giving it on a day like this. On the eve of, of people coming back after a year and a half, in the deepest darkness there could ever be. That even when the world looks like it's on fire, even when the world looks like it's insane, even when it looks like there's nothing, there's no way! Akadosh Baruch Hu says, I know, and I'm not asking you necessarily to wipe out the pain, and the difficulty, and the horror, and the confusion, but believe in me and trust in me even if it doesn't make any sense. Have the faith in me that I have in you. Believe in me like I believe in you. Connect to me like I want to be connected to you. And in that connectivity that comes together in the process of Yetzias, Mitzrayim, and the leaving of Galut, we should bring out that Amunah in ourselves and our generation. We were redeemed from that emunah, we will be redeemed with that emunah, that we should bring out that emunah in ourselves, and through that emunah us, no matter how much the world seems like it's on fire. HaKadosh Baruch Hu should redeem us, should bring us clarity, should bring us to the light, should bring us to geula, and we should see that geula amen. Thank you so much for tuning in to this week's episode. Join us every Wednesday for a new episode on the Parsha. Once again, thank you to this week's sponsor. And a reminder that you too can sponsor an episode of the podcast. rabbicharnoff at gmail. com for more info. Or to share any thoughts, comments, or feedback on this week's episode. See you in the next one.