Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection

00:03 - Intro (Announcement)
You're listening to Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe of TORCH in Houston, Texas. This is the Parsha Review Podcast.

00:12 - Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe (Host)
Welcome back everybody to the Parsha Review Podcast. It is so wonderful to have you back. Just yesterday was Tisha B'Av. Tisha B'Av is a very, very sad day where we mourn the destruction of the two temples, where we talk about and feel and cry about so many of the sad events that befell the Jewish people on this day. But now we're discussing a new parasha, the parasha of Va'es Hanan.

00:38
What is Va'es Hanan? It's talking about the pleas that Moshe Rabbeinu, the request that Moshe Rabbeinu had, that Moses, our leader, our fearless leader who took us out of Egypt, the request that he had from the Almighty to enter into the land of Israel. And our sages tell us that he requested so many times that Hashem said Stop, stop, enough, enough, stop asking. But before I continue, I have a very, very, very special treat for you today, and that is my nephew. Avram Blackman, from Toronto, canada, is with me right here in the studio, in our traveling studio. And guess what? He just finished sixth grade. He's going into seventh grade. He's going into 7th grade. He's the oldest of seven children and is a student in the Toronto Haider. He's going to treat us this week with a beautiful idea on this week's Parsha and, without any further ado. I'm going to ask Avram Blackman to join us on the Parsha Review Podcast.

01:44 - Avraham Blackman (Guest)
Hello, my name is Avram Blackman, I'm from Thornhill, ontario, and first of all I want to say a special thank you to my amazing uncle, aryeh, for bringing me here. I'm very excited to share with you. I have a special with Vartara, okay, so let's jump right in. So I have a special with Vartara that really inspired me on Parsha's Vashadar, and especially because of something that happened. This Parshat Svesh Hanan starts with Maishar Benu begging Hashem 515 times to let him go into Eretz Yisrael. That number isn't random. It's not for no reason that he asked, because he showed how much he loved Eretz Yisrael. He didn't give up, even when he knew the answer might be no. But Hashem said Rav Lach, enough, stop, enough, stop. Because if he would have asked, if he would have asked Hashem one more time, he would. Hashem would have said Hashem would have had to let him, because filah is a very important thing and if you daven enough, hashem has to let him. So he said stop, I can't let you in. And since I can't let you in, please stop davening, because I won't be able to let you in. And you think, think right, my sherbet news fields are so, are so powerful. One feel like cancel one of Hashem's decrees and 515 fields, all the more so. It's so much. And even still he, he wasn't answered. So you'd right he'd be devastated, right? I just I just davened 515 times to Hashem to let me enter Israel, and still I can't. You'd think he'd be devastated. But right after, moshe doesn't complain, he moves forward, he gives over to Tyre, to Bnei Yisrael, to the Yidden, to the Jews, he strengthens them, he gives them chizuk, he shares the shema, he keeps teaching them and giving over the tarah, even though he knows that I might not be able to get to the finish line, be able to see the finish line, the end product, but I still want to do it. That is real leadership, that is real love.

03:49
This reminds me of something that happened with my rebbe this year. I had an amazing rebbe. He was very nice, my teacher, he was very kind and and he had problems with his voice during the year and on the third to last day of school he had to do a procedure for his voice and he wasn't, wouldn't be able to talk for seven days straight and so, right, he wouldn't be able to come to class and then teach us when he can't talk. So on the third to last day, we had a party. We ended off. It was amazing. And then we had a substitute. And on the last day, someone knocks on the door and he comes in and it was my Rebbe, my teacher, and he waves to all of us. Right, he's not able to speak, but he waves to all of us and he gives out prizes and he's and like we see, like he really wants to talk to us. But he was very like, emotional.

04:44
And then he started. He sat down and he started writing a letter to each and every one of us. And it wasn't just any letter, it was personal, it was emotional, he poured his heart into it. He told us all the good times and the memories and the fun times. He told us how proud he was, how much he believed in us, how Tyra is something that we could carry with us forever and ever, even when people or voices are gone.

05:09
The letter was more powerful than any words he could have said. Just like Misha couldn't enter the land, my rabbi couldn't speak, but instead of giving up, he gave more. He gave what would last. His message, like Misha's, wasn't about him. It was about us, his students, his Talmidim, and about making sure that the Torah and the connection continues forever and ever. And really that letter was like a mushal for the Torah.

05:38
Hashem didn't only speak to us one time at our Sinai. He gave us the Torah so we'd have something forever, something to hold on to. It's like a letter from Hashem. It's written in ink. It's like a letter from Hashem, even more lasting than the words we hear once. The Torah is how we stay close, even when we can't hear. So to speak Him the same way. Right here it's written on ink. We could actually now have it. It's written on ink that we could have it forever and ever. Words you can remember, but here now I have it.

06:09
So here's my question If Moshes Tefillin didn't work, why bother davening and praying so much? What was the point of all of it? He davened so many times. Where did those Tfilis go? What was it for? And the answer is Tfilah isn't just to get what we want, it's to build a closer connection. Every one of those 515 Tfilis brought us closer to Hashem, even if the answer was no, just to build a connection, just like my Rebbe's letter brought us closer even though he couldn't speak. Sometimes the most powerful messages come not from what we say, but from how much we care, think about it. It's important. I hope this inspired you just as much as it inspired me. Everybody, have a wonderful Shabbos.

06:58 - Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe (Host)
My dear friends, if you just heard the words, the beautiful words from my wonderful nephew, Avram, you learned something really, really special, and that is that every single prayer helps us elevate and become closer to the Almighty, helps us become closer to God, Even if we don't see an answer that is to our liking, to our desire. Oh, I would like it to be this. I want to win that game. And Hashem, you didn't answer me. That's not the objective. The objective of prayer teaches us Avram going into seventh grade. He teaches us an incredible lesson here. That prayer is about bringing ourselves closer to Hashem. My dear friends, we should all merit that all of our prayers bring us closer to Hashem, and we should also merit that the prayers and the things that we ask for in our prayers should always be fulfilled in the greatest way possible. Thank you, and have a beautiful Shabbos.

08:02 - 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.