#64 - Perek Daled K - Mesilas Yesharim Explained

In two short sessions a week Rabbi Dovid Schoonmaker will elucidate and bring to life the eternal words of the Mesilas Yesharim. Rabbi Dovid Schoonmaker is the Rosh Yeshivah of Shapell's / Yeshivas Darche Noam in Yerushalaim.

Transcript

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One of the things I find to be so important in our increasingly complex and sometimes anxiety-ridden world is to find Hakarishbo's gentle hand on our soft shoulders. And the way we find that for most of us is through Hashika Pratas, feeling that Kharashbohu is determining the lives of our nation, the lives of the world, and of course our personal lives especially, and to think about those things and note them and remember them and review them. It's actually even a Mitsur of Bennyona writes in Sharshaniya of Sharichuva, a person's Sar Milas, I think he talks about the Milas that a person has to live with, and one of them is to be Midbonain in the Hesareshem and remember them. So it's a very important thing. Why do I say that now? We're in the middle of Sahirus and Skarbonish. Because if you notice, we're outside and it's kind of like a nice little pastoral setting. You can see the little lights in the back for the uh Shabrochis, which we've been Zoka to have since we moved. And um, so it kind of sets the tone for a difficult message because we're in the middle of learning about the what encourages and inspires those of uh lower level to be Zahir. That amazing process of considering your actions, knowing what the Torah wants, where are you holding, how do you get there? Knowing what the Torah wants, realizing where you're far away from it, strategizing, thinking how to get there. The Shlemiadas get there by realizing there's nothing else that's so important as about his Hashem, a shlamus being close to Kudashborfu. A thing which I think today's Tibur strikes a chord. The second one, which was to those of a lower level, which maybe strikes less of a chord, perhaps it does strike a chord, we discussed it already, is a consideration and understanding that that covet moves you, and we don't like seeing those on a lower level. No one would want to see their secretary or their assistant or the guy who has less money in shul or etc. the small atomopalkum, whatever it is that moves us, uh the player on the bench, to see them get more credit than us would be a challenge. And you have to feel with that. And and here it doesn't make any difference. What's the difference? It's all foolishness, it's all naurish cut, it doesn't make a difference. But it's gonna be like that in X-world if we don't prepare prepare ourselves. And then we said those on the lowest level, what's gonna move them, our mon is karbonish. So it's gonna be a reckoning day. So that's why I said now we're gonna go more into the reckoning and show how severe the din is. That's why I said no, it's Siat De Shmaya, because I I take these um uh recordings, these postings, this podcast, if you will, seriously for sure, otherwise I wouldn't do it. But in my Borkishem busy lifestyle, uh life, I kind of do a baney baney sometimes very late at night, uh, sometimes in my yeshiva office, and when I get a chance and the weather's right, I go into the lovely garden, the Kurdish Borpal does have. So I thought it was nice that Dafka, and uh as the sun is kind of like hitting my balding uh scalp or my bald scalp, a balding might be too um uh uh generous. There's something up there, but anyway, but as the sun is hitting to be out here and to take the message that uh saying. So everybody take a seat, button up, uh put in your seat belts, remember that Kharashbokha loves you, and let's learn about Midasiddin, okay, about Kharashborhu's severity also. So he said last time that Svivav Nisara mode, the Kharashbok is especially tough on he who he loves. Malamacha Kharashbok medaktik like a hair's breath. Now he brings some uh difficult uh to hear examples. But this is what he says, Avram, Avram, the greatness of Avram, we can't imagine. I was always moved um by Rabbi Miller's statement about how great Avram was. He said if the Chavitzkhaim was uh baseball or softball, Avram would be the sun. And that's just incredible when you think about that. How big the Chabitzhaim was, the Ruhekakorus of the Chabitzkhaim, the Gaonas, the Tzitkus, the Precious, every level, the Midos, the Chasid, anything a human being could, we can imagine achieving the Chavatzhaim achieved it, he changed Khlay's role, the Mishnahbura, the Chavatzhaim, Shemir Salashan, Homas Adas, and every field where the Chavatz Khaim spoke, his words are accepted. Oh, think about the if you think about the popularity and authority of the Mishnah Bruh, there's no posting today, he doesn't spend a lot, a lot of time learning Mishabura and knowing it very, very well. Incredible. Ramish something just absolutely incredible. And he would be Avram was so imaginably greater than him. But what happened to Avram? Who Avram ha ovlakonad that was beloved to his konat? Let's not forget that. He didn't um float means like be out somewhere, like he spit something out. He wasn't spit out, means he was absorbed in. He had to deal with Minadin. Because small things should all dictate to him. Al Sham Maida, Avram questioned and wondered, Ma'ida Kerishana. How do I know that I will have a schlusinaritz roll? How do I know that my children, how do I know the yitzhok is gonna get there and not the others? How do I know it's gonna go to the right side of the family? Okay, I'm going off center. Ma'idah, Amrlak Khanishborko Kayakha, that's like a language of a Shvu of um Swear. Yadoa Tida Kiger Yezarecha. You're they will be Geezarecha. So Avram had what we view maybe a momentary moment of weakness, an expression of that weakness, and that had something to do with us being Mitzraim. Yadoa Teidah Kiger Yezarecha beerzolam. Incredible. Babadum, Vinosam, etc. That was him. That was one level of severity. That he made a uh covenant with Abimelech without Kharishbok telling to do it, right? When you make a brisk with with non-Jews, it's not simple. It's not our topic. But Amalokarishbokha Yachashim Simchas Banaka Shabi Dor Doris. It'll be seven generations to get the simcha of your children. I'm not absolutely sure what that's referring to, but I think it's maybe referring to the time that it took for the base of Mingtish to be rebuilt or maybe the Mishkan to go up. But seven generations, think about that. Seven generations we have to go through because of that. I mean it was one action, big deal. That's Vivav Nissara mode. Those with the closest name, uh Khudasara. Yaakob, Al Shahara Apo Birachel, Yaakov got angry at Rachel Shah Amra. She said, Lo, Habidli Banim, gift me children, right? Those long hard years of not having children. And she spoke to him in a strong way. As a wife sometimes can to a husband. Umrub Madras, Kach Onomasumukas. Yaakov doesn't, he doesn't bring the answer. Yaakov said, Attakas alakimani, uh, am I under Khushborakh? I can't convince, I can't make you children. Rachel, you're coming to the wrong point, please. Talk upstairs. But he said it Lafima Draga, according to his level, in a sharp way, with certain sharpness. And the Khadishbok would say, Kachonumisamukas? Is that how you speak to someone who's down? Give a hard time to an almana. She wasn't an almana, but she was she was her own in her own Sarah. Kach Onnesamukas. Your children would stand in front of her children. I think that means like the other sons, who were also his sons, who were the sons which were only his, will stand in front of her sons. Now, this is a really fascinating one, which I want to go into a little bit, because I do have a side lesson to share here. Fleishanasan is Dina Bateva, Kidesholi Kaha, Yikakha Aesav. When Yaakov had come back, Terra Chisral, she had a beautiful daughter, Dina, and he was going to meet Aesov, and he was worried about Aesov taking her. Now, why was Yaakov worried about Aesov taking her? Because Aesiv was such a person, right? We know the Kazal tell us now is not the forum to give it over. We know we know what type of uh fellow Aesiv was. He wasn't uh he wasn't a big sodak, he didn't have uh proper manners, he didn't treat women the right way, if you will. And and and the last person that Yaqov wanted to marry, his wonderful daughter Adina, was his brother Aesiv, her uncle. So he put her in a teva to hide her, that Asa shouldn't see it. Sounds like a reasonable thing to do. Avishavanoso hai said, Vade Latova. Certainly his Kavanau was Latova, Achlati Shimon Chesed, because he held back Chesed from his brother, Ambr Medrish, this is the quote, Amrlo Kharishmo, Lamas Miraeu Chesed, which generally means that since he held back Chesed from his brother, you don't want to marry off to Asa, who's a Mohol, who has a Mila at least, he had a brisk Mila. Herehinises Laarel, she's gonna get married to Khamur ben Shem, whole mice of Shem, that that that uh Dina was taken, etc. And us and all that happened there in Shem, terrible things. You didn't want to allow her to be married in a Dereheter, so she's gonna marry us with Derechiser. You did the wrong khashman, Yaakov. Incredible. So Rosa, this incredible meeting. I just want to take a second to say, like, you might be wondering, maybe I should just jump over this. So I'm not jumping over Rosa because um we're learning a safer, and learning is safer is learning is safer, learning is safer means learning all the safer, and also because of um balance. We all need balance and we all move out of balance. Uh some of us are naturally more balanced, some people have natural uh um dancers balance, physical balance, some people are always kind of klutzy. Um to call gross motor uh issues, right? Some people are very nimble, play piano, etc., and move uh like dancers. Some people are more clumsy. It's okay, but so too in the world of Rukni. Some people naturally are more balanced, some people aren't okay. But one message that I believe from my learning and experiencing and being Mishamish Kaham and Borkashem, being about around my great rebellion and mentors, is balance. Gadoli Israel have balance. They are Bali Khassit and they're Bali Din. They are nice individuals and they're nice institutions. There's a balance. There's Klal and this Prat. There's Meluk and this Tamakhacham, there's Kohen, this Tam Isral. To me, the message of balance is always there. So, and when you aren't, I remember my great Rabbi Rubiaco Freeman said to me one time, when a person isn't balanced, they come out of they're like a saris, someone who can't reproduce. That's what he told me, which was an amazing line to me. I'd never thought of before. Right? The ability to reproduce in your children, in your Talmudim, comes when they see balance. He didn't really explain it, and but it was a deep line. Um, and that's part of the balance, right? We we live in a very much in uh a time which is which is lesson to Amida Siddin. We don't want to think about it, we don't want to know about it, just we want to relate to Kodashborgo, like our friend, our buddy, our ah, etc. But it's not that's not the and I'm good with that. I I say I was very happy I saw the Heligan Klosenberger said this one time. You know, I don't want to compare myself in any way, of course. Uh it's that's a joke, right? No one should think I mean that I was very, very happy that I was up at uh his deep cavana. But the Klosenberger said once, turned to the Roman show and said, Kurdishwork, we we can't handle din anymore. You see, it doesn't work for us, right? We don't we don't, you know, we we respond well, like children, you know, we respond well to love, so turn off the Midisadin. The Halo Klosenberger said that. I thought that once myself also. But look, you look in the world, you see there is Midisiden. Mashiach's not here yet. People are suffering, people are dying, difficult things are happening, anti-Semitism is rising. So there is a Midisadin in the world. You can't avoid it. So, so first off, it's not the Torah perspective to avoid things. It's it's not, let's go through three, it's not the Torah perspective. You can learn it safe, you learn to hold safer. One, it's not the the it's not the tar perspective of learning, it's not the tar perspective of balance, and it's not what we see in the world. We do see me to so we're not doing ourselves a favor by avoiding it, by not having it. Maybe the opposite, maybe by learning the Ms. Sharm and seeing it, it could ground us a little bit. And I don't have the answers myself, but at least perhaps it'll teach us how to bring it into our world in the right way. Okay, so we have two examples so far was Avram and now Yaakov, and we're gonna open up next time with explaining a little bit more um how what I want to share the Altim Slobodka's shot about this seemingly not understood action. How could Yaakov be punished for not wanting his from daughter to marry a Manuval like Aesiv? Asaf, who he was worried was gonna destroy the whole Jewish people, Asaf, who started thousands of years of our suffering. Aesiv is a Malik. Aesiv is is is the the Holocaust. You know, Aesiv, she should marry Aesav. So that uh coming up next time.