Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection

00:01 - Intro (Announcement)
You're listening to Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe, Director of TORCH, the Torah Outreach Resource Center of Houston. This is the Jewish Inspiration Podcast.

00:12 - Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe (Host)
And we are back to page 481, day 81, in the Gate of Acceptance in the Treasure for Life edition of the Orchid Siddiqim of the Ways of the Righteous. My dear friends, we're second line from the bottom. Here is a very fundamental principle A person should never be stubborn nor stiff in his neck against the chastiser, nor against those who teach him the straight path. So a person should always love and appreciate those who reprimand, whether it be a parent, whether it be a friend, whether it be a neighbor, and whether it be someone smaller, more insignificant than you, someone in the store saying you know, you shouldn't be touching that, you shouldn't be playing with this, excuse me, people get very uptight Again. We create a shield around ourselves. We create this, this barrier in front of ourselves. Person should open up to willingness to accept. Don't be an amkshe or, if a stiff-necked nation. That's what the jewish people are. We're very stubborn, just this.

01:39
Shabbos, my, my son had all of his friends came over like 15, 20 kids and, uh, they came over. Shabbos, my son had all of his friends came over like 15, 20 kids and they came over Shabbos afternoon. They were walking in the neighborhood so they stopped by my house and one of the kids did something and the whole class ganged up on him. The whole class ganged up on him. So I don't take to that. So I walked outside and I said to the kid I said come, come inside with me. He says no, I'm stubborn and that's why they're doing this to break my stubbornness. He said to me. He said so sweet. He says but you know, next year I'm going to Israel and if you go to Israel you have to be very stubborn. So I'm practicing a stubbornness. I thought it was very funny. So you know, it's important for us to be tough, it's important for us to be resilient, but to be stubborn. We have to be careful about that. Why? Why, it says.

02:43
It says thorns and sneers are in the way of the stubborn man. He who guards his soul will keep far from them means there's terrible things that come to a person who's so stubborn and inflexible. The stubborn of heart will not find good. We see how many times those who were stubborn were condemned and those who had the desire to listen were praised. We see that all over the Torah. If a person has the desire to listen to Torah, you know what's going to happen. We see that all over the Torah. If a person has the desire to listen to Torah, you know what's going to happen. He's going to be like a tree planted by streams of water which gives its fruit in its time. You're going to flourish.

03:52
It says that praised, happy is the man who fears Hashem, who desires his mitzvot exceedingly. It doesn't say who studies his mitzvot exceedingly, but who desires it. Ritzon oloma she, yosim odom, chef tzolom mitzvahs. A person should desire the mitzvahs exceedingly.

04:10
Amar abavo, the Talmud brings la'asid lavo in the time to come, in the world to come. Ha'kol asidim liyos temeyim k'neged mi sh'shamal Elohim. Everyone, him, everyone in the time to come, will marvel about those who listen to Hashem saying how is it that this lowly one did not read scripture, did not study the Talmud, did not learn, he wasn't learned. Yet he's sitting and conversing with our patriarchs, with the holiest of our nation, and you know what Hashem will answer. What are you marveling about? What are you questioning? Even the only reason they married it to this is because during their lifetime they listened. They listened to me as it is written.

05:13
It says in Proverbs by King Solomon the ear that hears the reproof of life. It says in Proverbs by King Solomon. So we see here? What do we see? That those who listen, those who open their heart, those who are willing to follow the ways of Hashem, those are those who are rewarded to be close to our matriarchs and patriarchs in the world to come.

05:53
And even though this trade is an excellent one, a person has to be very careful not to use it to come close to the wicked. V'yasi ritzonu, mikol dvorim royim, v'mikol ma'a, she'izhira ha-Torah alaf. And, of course, a person should be very cautious not to connect with evil things, as the Torah has warned us, but rather a person should be close to who Hashem wants him to be close with. Hashem desires those who fear Him. So who should he be close to? Those who fear Hashem, a person should put his desires to the mitzvos, even if they're difficult for him.

06:45
You know there are mitzvot that are not easy. Shabbos is not easy for everyone. I grew up with Shabbos, so it's a big talker, but it's not easy for everyone. Kosher is not easy for everyone. You know doing many mitzvot. Giving charity is not easy for everyone. You know doing many mitzvahs giving charity is not easy for everyone, not to everyone. Is it so pleasurable to give charity? Of course, unless they're giving to Torch, then it's a joy for everyone because even though it was difficult for Abraham to observe the Torah, in particular in slaughtering his son, the binding of Isaac, he was willing to forego his own will but the will of Hashem.

07:39
What did he do? Forego his own will but the will of Hashem. Be-hishkim ve-oseh be-zvizus u-be-nefesh ha-fetzo be-ava. What did he do? He didn't say you know what I'll get up whenever I get up. I'm tired. God kind of wants me to slaughter my son today. I'm sure today's a good day for that. You know, try to push it off. No, no, no, that's not what he did. What did Abraham do Abraham?

07:58
Abraham woke up early, rose up early. Very good, he woke up early to do the will of Hashem. You want to slaughter your son? Who wants to slaughter the son, gary? You want to slaughter your son? I don't think so. Right, none of us want to slaughter our son. But what did Abraham do? On a very high level, he says you know what Hashem is? Testing my relationship with him. I'm going to do it. You know why? Because that's what Hashem wants, and Hashem's will comes before my will. He woke up early, do the will of Hashem With a heart filled with love. He says I'm going to do what Hashem wants.

08:44
But he who places his will and desire to evil acts and is conciliatory to the wicked and their deeds and despises the righteous, that willingness will bring him to the grave. He says what happens to the person who desires evil? He says the evil will seem to him good and the good will seem to him evil, and the sweet will be bitter and the bitter will be sweet, and the light is dark and the dark is light. Everything is confused, everything is confused. You listen to the news, which I don't recommend you do, but if you listen to the news you can hear people have such backwards thinking when it comes to just common sense, just simple common sense. It's unbelievable. It's unbelievable why? Because people are confused. So the good seems bad and the bad seems good, and the light seems dark and the dark seems light. Nothing makes sense In Nehmer, says he who vindicates the wicked and incriminates the righteous. Both are the abomination of Hashem. So we see that, this great confusion that comes from a lack of having a connection with Hashem. And that concludes day number 81.

10:35 - Intro (Announcement)
You've been listening to Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe on a podcast produced by Torch, the Torah Outreach Resource Center of Houston. Please help sponsor an episode so we can continue to produce more quality Jewish content for our listeners around the globe. Please visit torchweb.org to donate and partner with us on this incredible endeavor.