Shalom everyone and thank you for joining me in the study of Parashat Tsav. In Parashat Tsav, we have some kind of a review of many of the Korba, not of the sacrifices. And I would like to focus on the following pasuk. This is basically, those are the laws for all the different types of offerings to the mincha elevation, to the sin offering, to the guilt offering, and so forth. On the day that he commanded Am Israel, the children of Israel, to bring their sacrifices to Hashem. As you can read the Pasuk, there is a word here that obviously calls for our attention. And it's Bayom, on the day. Obviously, we can read that Pasuk without that word. For example, that's it. What is the significance of the word bayom on the day? So Apshimson Raphael Hirsch, in the 19th century in Germany, wrote an excessive interpretation and commentary on this idea of serving God during the day. And what does it mean? Obviously, we need to serve God during the night as well. But what is the significance of the day and serving God during the day in our religion? So let's try to read it, analyze it, learn it, study it, and derive some interesting lessons for our religious life and our understanding of religion. So Abshem Shan Rafael here says the following. So he says during nighttime, when there is darkness, it's very hard, very difficult to distinguish between objects. You can look at a chair and it looks like a table, and vice versa. And also the person, a human being, goes back to what he calls the physical realm. We will take little time to try to explain it and to expand it. Rabshiv Shun Afalh takes the idea of being an idol worshiper and he says that in the ancient times, when people worship idols, the daytime was the time that they really had nothing to do with their gods. And why? Because at daytime, when there is light and there is sun, and a person wakes up in the morning and he is full of energy, and he's the one to go into the field, to plow the field, to plant, to harvest, he feels that he or she are the ones to run the world. However, when it's dark, when it's night, when it's cold, then when a person feels that he is powerless or he is less powerful than he was during the daytime, then he tries to find protection and shield by the gods. So, daytime was the time when the ancient human being who was an idol worshipper basically saw the daytime that belongs to me, and the night belongs to the gods. And therefore, he says in the thought process of the ancient cultures of idol worshippers, the daytime was the day that it was a conflict, a confrontation between men and God. And at nighttime, it was a time of submission of the human beings to their gods. But the Jewish recognition and internalization in terms of religion is totally the opposite from the mindset of an idol worshiper. A Jew does not need the dark times, fear, terror being terrified in order to feel that he needs God, that he wants to be with God. During daytime, when every human being can do and create and erect and build and construct, this is the time when naturally people forget God who gives them the power to do everything that they do. And therefore, an idol worshiper does not see God during the daytime. He sees God only at nighttime when he is powerless. The Jew is being required, and this is part of the DNA of our religion, is to feel God when you are the most powerful. When you feel that there are no limits to what you can accomplish and achieve. You don't run to God only when it's dark, when it's night, when you are in exile, when you are powerless. This is the beauty of the Jewish religion. The Jewish religion religion demands, requires every Jew that at the times where he or she are the most powerful, during daytime, this is the time that you feel closer to God. You understand that whatever you are able to accomplish comes from him. Hashem gave us the opportunity to partner with him to build, to create, to innovate, to initiate. Which means at the moments of the peak of human creativity, that should be the peak of spirituality. That's what Rapsim Churra Far here says. Make ourselves upright. We can stand upright. And God gave us the keys to rule the world for what? Not for self-glorification, not for self-praise, but rather le manya of so we can serve God through power, through creativity, through accomplishments. This is such an important message. When you go to work, when you go to your job, whatever you do, you can be a doctor, a lawyer, a CPA, a rabbi, a builder, someone who has a grocery store, whatever you do, when you go to work, you fulfill God's will. It's not just in order to provide for your family, which is very important. It's not only to be a contributor to society, which is very important. It's not only that you will have money that you can live nicely and you can give. This is also very important. But the main mission is that's what God wants you to do. Because when you accomplish more, your spiritual level goes up with you, ascends with you. Hayom, the day lit in an idol worshipper mindset, mutaim koach. But a day in a Jewish way of thinking is another opportunity to partner with God. Not to confront him, not to have a conflict with him, not to fight him. Exactly the opposite. I will just add one more thing about this idea. Is you see, if you remember at the beginning of Bereshit, there was a story about the Babylonian tower. Humanity came together and built a tower. And you would think they built a tower and they will recognize God's greatness, but the story is exactly the opposite. Those people who built the Babylonian tower, according to our sages, they did it against God. They wanted to confront God. So at the moment of peak of creativity, to create such a tall tower, that was the peak of heresy. That was the peak of the conflict between human beings and God. And we see it through history. Instead of recognizing God during the daytime, idol worshippers and their mentality, their mindset, their way of looking at life infiltrated societies all over the globe. But the Jewish religion was true to its identity. The daytime creativity, building, constructing, creating, it comes from God. This is the invitation that Hashem sends us every day to partner with Him. But rather the night goes after the day. The day goes after the night. The Jewish day starts when? At night. But in the Migdash, it's the opposite. What determines the day is the day, is the morning, is the daytime, with the hope and perhaps even the expectation, the divine expectation, that the day will influence the night, that the day that symbolizes life, vibrancy, creativity, innovation, it will also affect and impact the night that symbolizes the silence of death. Because we raised ourselves above this physical natural level. We stand in front of God not because of nature. It's not that we need God because of nature, unlike the idol worshipping mentalities that why do I need the gods? So they will bless the rain and they will bless the land and they will bless my harvest. And because of my lack of ability, I need the God. No. We Jews, we celebrate God when we can do things even quote unquote without him, because we know that everything comes from him. Rapshim Shan al-Falir says, when is the covenant? When was the covenant signed and sealed with Am Israel, with the people of Israel? We're in the desert. In the desert, we didn't use the nature in order to flourish. Everything was provided for us. We were not afraid. That's where the covenant took place. Only ourselves. What we had to build, walk on. That's what Hashem wants. Because what the Torah requires from us is our free personality, our free identity that is able to submit itself with his thoughts, with his will, with its creativity to God. This is what Hashem requires you. When you bring Qurban, says Rapshim Shon Afariush, when I commended you to bring the Qurban, first and foremost, what I ask you was to bring yourself, to walk on your thoughts, to walk on a daily basis, to be able to create this notion that will be part of who you are, to understand that the idea of feeling and knowing and believing that you are close to Hashem, that you can attach yourself to Hashem is through the mundane. We repeat this theme so many times, but I think that now by Rapshim Shonafadiush, it is so clear. You bring a Qurban, you show submission through what? During a time that you don't need God. But that's exactly what our religion is saying. Our relationship with Hashem is not only based on need, it's based on admiration, it's based on awe, it's based on appreciation, it's based on the idea that God gave us an invitation to partner with Him in making this world a better place. When you come to religion with such an understanding, your perception and your understanding of God is totally different. There is a religion of fear. I run to my God because He can protect me, He can shield me. Which we have this component in our religion. David Amelach says in Taylim, when I sit in darkness, I know God will protect me. I failed, I stumbled. God is going to help me. We have this notion, but this is not the pillars of our religion. The pillars of our religion is to reach God when we seemingly do not need Him. And this is difficult. This is difficult because look at our Tfilot. We all know, and let's be honest, our Tfilao prayer is much better when, God forbid, there is a need. If someone is sick in the family or in the congregation, or we need something for Am Israel, or we need something for myself. Obviously, the prayer, you feel it. And when there is no need and everyone is okay, your prayer is more of a routine. But we need to change this perception. Our desire, our want to come close to Hashem, to have this constant status and constant feeling of Qurban, it's in the peak of our creativity. It's in the peak of our independence, it's in the peak of our freedom. This is the moment when we need to feel God the most. So that's Rapshim Shalfa'i. And this idea of partnering with God and to understand that that's what God's want, and God's wants you to feel Him when you walk and when you are creative, can find its place in this Pasuk. I am Hashem, your God who took you out from Egypt from being slaves to the Egyptians. And I broke the burdens that were on your shoulders, and then I led you commemut. What is the meaning of that word komemut? What does it mean? So the Svatemet says the following. So he quotes Rashi, who quotes the midrash, that says that the word komemut means komaskufa, being upright, which means at the end of times God will give us the ability to stand upright. And why is that such a wonderful thing? So the Svatemed says the following. Because going upright, it's like a little bit pompous. It's you shows a little bit of some kind of being an arrogant person. You know, the people who go with the upright and like their head is in the sky and they don't look at you when they talk. So how come that this is the blessing? Says the Svatemat, it's not about being upright only physically. He says this blessing for the end of times is that Hashem will give us the ability to accept God's burden or God's to be God-fearing people, even when we are upright. What does that mean? So before we continue on, let's just imagine. If you are afraid of someone, you're definitely not going to be upright. You're going to bend down a bit because this is a symbol of authority. You have someone who you are afraid of, so you're going to bow down, you're going to bend down, you're not going to go upright. Says the Svatimeth, the blessing, the divine blessing is that we will be able to accept God's yoke, but at the same time to go upright. Why? He says this is the way Adam was created. Adam was created, and Adam and Chavah, Adam and Eve, were created being upright and walking with God in Ganadin. The only time, or the first time really, that Adam had to bend down to hide is when he committed the sin. The first time he committed the sin, he immediately realized he did something wrong. And what did they do? They try to find a place to hide. And then they hide themselves also physically when they put some clothing on them. But before the sin, Adam and Eve walked upright and accepted God's yoke, God's direction to them. Do not eat from the tree. They did it for a while until they ate from it. And they didn't feel that they need to bend down, they didn't feel that they need to submit themselves. They felt that they can get and accept God's yoke and to continue to walk upright. What will be? The thing is like that. He gave us the ability to create, to innovate, to invent, to construct, to build. And with that power, it's in a way a double-edged sword. Because if you channel it to the right place, so you as a human being reach tremendous levels of innovation and creativity and accomplishments. And at the same time, the spiritual level also goes up and you see God and you recognize God in the highest levels. However, if you misuse it and you use the creativity that was given to you just to basically build yourself up and to glorify yourself up and to forget God, there is going to be a confrontation between you and God, to even the extent sometimes, and we see it in history, that human beings think that they are God themselves and they are here to replace God. The ideal way is to understand that everything comes from God, to understand that there is Morashamay, that God walks with you, but you don't need to be terrified, you need to be in awe. And that's a world of difference. Totally different concepts of serving God. You can have tremendous admiration towards God, but you are not afraid of him because he can punish you. You admire him, so you don't want to disappoint him. Says the Svata methiya aftahash yukhlu lilak bekomaskufa. The best blessing that God can give you at the end of Sefer Vaikha is what? Is that you will be able to bring korban bayom during the daytime. When you reach the highest level of human creativity, this is where you realize God to its outmost power, to its ultimate greatness. Let it sink. Because it's so contrary to so many things that we learned. Yes, there is a component of fear, but it's not fear of punishment. This is the first, this is like the entry level to religion. But there is something that is much higher, much more fulfilling, much more satisfying, is to walk with God, to feel God in everything that we do during daytime. And this daytime mentality will influence also the nighttime when obviously human capabilities are a little less. So the idea of Habshim Shalfa'i and the Svatemet basically are almost go hand in hand in terms of the perception, the understanding of our religion. Jewish religion does not come from fear, it comes from love, admiration, expectations, partnership. The understanding that God wants and desires us to be his partners. But when you are his partner, don't think that you are here to replace him. But rather you are here to reveal him in everything you do. However, I would like to add that in the Jewish religion, in Yahadut, in our beautiful religion, we don't have only the today, but we also have the tomorrow. And what do I mean by that? In one of the most famous such, when the Jewish people had a war against the Amalekites when they came and attacked them, the Torah states, choose some people here, get the troops ready. I purposely read the last sentence quickly and in a way in an ambiguous way. Look at the word machar. 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, the 12th word, machar. If you look at this word, you can relate it to the beginning of the verse or to the end of the verse. Let's read it. We can read it for Yom Mushel Yoshua. Moshe says to Yoshua, choose people to go and fight Amalek tomorrow, and I will stand on the top of the mountain and I will take God's step with me. Which means the war will take place tomorrow, and also tomorrow I will go up and what and raise my hands and we will win the war. That's one option. Second option. Moshe says to Yeshua, go ahead, find people, find the troops, go and fight Amalek today, machara, and tomorrow I will go up on the top of the mountain and pray for your success. So how should we read it? Says the Talmud in Yoma. There is a word there that you don't know if it's connected to the first half or the second half. One of them is our Pasuk, Makhar. Do you read it in connection to the beginning of the verse or the end of the verse? Says Rashi, Eylaim, you can determine where to put them, la dat eikanem notim. You don't know exactly where to put this tomorrow. With the first part of the first pasuk, the verse, or the last part. But now let's ask ourselves a question. Why should the Torah write it in such an ambiguous way? Why just not to write it in a clear way? Tell me if tomorrow everyone goes to war, including Moshe, goes to Davin, or the war starts today and Moshe goes tomorrow. Why do you need to make it so complicated? But the idea is that it's not complicated. It's intentional. We Jews live our lives, our religious life, and our entire life in the three dimensions of time. We are committed and we live in the past, we live into the present, and we understand that we affect the future. There is no separation between the three dimensions of time. Sometimes the maha, the tomorrow, is related very much to the today and to yesterday. And sometimes it's a bit detached, but it's being influenced by what you do today. The idea of the day, of finding God in our creativity, and to find God in the unknown of tomorrow, and to find God in what already happened, what is known yesterday. This is how God, who has no shape, no form, no time, is asking us to live our own lives. So next time we hear yesterday, today, and tomorrow, know that those are one of the three principles of our religion, of our way of life. We are committed and we learn from history so it will not repeat itself. We build the today and we see God in everything we do. And this is the way we have tomorrow. Thank you.