Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection

00:00 - Intro (Announcement)
You are listening to Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe of Torch in Houston, Texas. This is the Thinking Talmudist podcast.

00:14 - Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe (Host)
All right, welcome back everybody to the Thinking Talmudist. We are in Tractate Barachot, folio 6b, and we were in the middle of talking about what happens when someone prays in the back of a synagogue. Not inside the synagogue, in the back, we're talking about outside the synagogue and facing the other direction, meaning I'm not thinking that this God is over here, I'm facing another God, so to speak. So related incident there was a certain man who was praying behind a synagogue and did not turn his face towards the synagogue. Elijah the prophet passed him and noticed him. Elijah the prophet passed him and noticed him and he appeared to him as an Arabian man. I don't know why it's relevant in our story for that, according to Rashi and the Riff, an Arabian merchant passed by and according to some it was Elijah that passed by and saw the person dressed as an Arabian merchant. Omar lay, thus disguised. Elijah said to him. Disguised Elijah said to him you stand before your creator and act as if there are two powers governing the world. You're right behind the synagogue, so you came to the right place, but you're actually serving God in the wrong way. You're facing the other way. It's like as if there are two powers governing the world. There's one here where everyone is praying towards and the one that you're praying to in a different way. Thereupon, elijah drew his sword and killed him. Okay, woo, everyone's like whoa, what's going on here, right? So you have to understand how to learn Agadek Talmud's pieces of Talmud. Agadek Talmud is telling you a concept Can't take anything practically in these types of stories. You can't. He didn't chop off his head, but the idea is that someone who serves idolatry, right, is that this is meaning. What's going on here is you have to see the fine details of the story, which we're not going to get into now, but to understand the nuances of how we act have a big big. There are big ramifications. So if a person did just say, well, I'm just, it's a good thing that he's praying, I don't know, there's a right way to do things. At least he's praying. No, okay, there's a proper way for things to be done.

03:17
Now the Gemara returns to the verse that we mentioned last week already, which is that the wicked walked roundabout. The verse continues with a strange phrase, and that is krum zulus livne adam, krum zulus to people. Gamara now is going to try and understand. What does this verse even mean? Amreleahu mera bonel'rav bibi bar abaya. One of the rabbis asked Rav Bibi bar abaya. Ve'amri lo rav bibi ba l'rav nachman bar yitzchak and some say that it was Rav Bibi asked Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak Mai krum zulus livnei adam.

04:02
What does it mean, this phrase of? What does that mean? Our Malay says that's referring to things that stand at the pinnacle of the world and people disregard. And people act treat it lightly. What does that mean? And people disregard and people act treat it lightly. What does that mean? Kirum zulus livnei adam. Kirum means it's rum. Al kol goyim Hashem. Hashem is uplifted beyond everything. So it's at the top, the pinnacle of the world, but yet zulus livnei adam, people look at it and treat it lightly. Okay, so what could that be? What could that be? That people look lightly on things? Well, how much value do people give to prayer? Right, prayer is the most important thing Talking to the creator of heaven and earth. Yet someone can, you know, belittle it. Eh, go, go pray to your God. Go, right, not recognizing it, people make light of it.

05:19
A different explanation of this phrase. Rabbi Yochanan, rabbi Elazer, both said Kehven Shnitz, doruch Adam and Brio. No, it's referring. This verse is referring to something else when a person is dependent on others Ponav Mishtanos Kikrum the colors of his face changes like that of a krum Right. What happens In Ammar? Krum zulus. Krum zulus to people, meaning when someone is dependent on others, his face transforms colors. He's embarrassed. I need to come out to other people. I need to come out to other people. It's very humiliating for someone.

06:05
A person wants to have a dignity. A person wants to not be in, you know, leeching, so to speak, off the community forever, which is why the most important part of charity is dignity, is giving the person who we're giving our charity to with dignity and preserving their state of of, you know, feeling of honor. Their state of honor Not feeling like they're, you know, a burden on you, but rather they're a merit to you. This is something that we've quoted in the past that when someone comes to ask you for charity and, by the way, it's never at a convenient time, never at a convenient time but when someone does ask you for charity, we have to see it as an opportunity. This is an opportunity where God is testing our commitment to him. God is always going to test us. God is always going to test us. God is always going to test us.

07:08
Okay, so now the Gemara asks my Krum. What is Krum? What is that? Ki osu ravdimi amar. When ravdimi came to Babylonia from the land of Israel, from Eretz Yisrael, he said of echod yesh v'karmei, hayam v'krum shmo. There's a certain bird found in the cities by the sea and it's called krum. That's the name of the bird V'kevan shechama zorachas, misapechas l'kamagvonim, and when the sun shines on it, it changes to many colors. Likewise, when a person has to rely on others for provisions of his needs, his face changes colors out of embarrassment. And we have to be so careful and we have to be so careful.

08:09
I you know, I've told you before, uh, several stories of my, my wonderful great aunt, who has an organization called matan beseter bambi. Okay, her name is bambi, that's her, her nickname, that that your name is bamberger, was her maiden name, but people called her Bambi. She was a very, very famous midwife, the head midwife of Shari Tzadik Hospital in Jerusalem, and for 50 years she delivered babies every night, delivered 30, 40, 50,000 babies. Unbelievable Her success and her fame. It was just absolutely incredible, incredible.

08:46
But one of the things that she was exposed to delivering these babies is the. The mothers who had just given birth would be emotional and some of them would cry, and she would sit there and listen to their stories and she found that many of them came were from impoverished lives and living very, very poor. You know how they were going to feed their children, etc. Etc. And um, she started an organization raising money to help feed these families, and what was beautiful about how she did it is that the people who donated did not know who the recipients were and the recipients didn't know who the donors were. And that is the highest form the ramam teaches us. The highest, highest form of giving charity is giving charity anonymously. Nobody knows. You don't know who you're giving it to, they don't know who they're receiving it from, and that's that's absolutely the most beautiful thing.

09:46
Which reminds me of another famous story. There was once someone who came to a town and saw a burial plot, a poor person's. I was actually at this grave and it was Yos the holy miser, yasula the holy miser. Anybody know the story. If you don't know the story, it's an amazing story, it's breathtaking. It's an incredible story Either way.

10:15
What happened was is that Yasula was a very, very wealthy man and he never gave any money. They asked him for charity. And every time he turned them down. And every time he turned them down, every time he turned them down. And before he died he was on his deathbed and they came to him and they said do you realize that if you don't give us money for your burial spot, we are not going to bury you in the Jewish cemetery? At least pay for your burial plot? He said he's laughing, that they're not getting anything. Sure enough. Sure enough, after he passed away, one day that he passed away and they said we're not burying him. You know, obviously some people went and the next day they're like okay, we're going to bury him, but we're going to bury him outside the cemetery, right outside the cemetery. We'll give him one of the plots right outside, you know, just to not to be an embarrassment to the deceased or to the community. So comes Wednesday and still no, you know, the people haven't changed their mind. But this person was, you know, temporarily buried where he was.

11:31
And that night the rabbi of the community sees that something tragic happened, something really tragic happened. He has people knocking on his door all day, all of these poor people coming out of no place. He has no idea what's going on. And one after another after another was coming to him saying we don't have money for Shabbos, we need food for Shabbos. What do you mean? What did you do last week? Last week we had money that we put under our door. We had no idea where it came from. We had no idea where it came from and the rabbi did some inquiries like when did you start getting this money? He says I'll tell you when it started.

12:21
And one person after another person shared the same exact story where all these poor people figured they're going to try to persuade this Yassal of the Mizer, the holy Mizer, they're going to try to persuade him to give charity to them. Everyone had a compelling story and everyone felt that their story was going to be the story that's going to get him to change his charity habits. And they'd come and he'd invite them into his home, really lovingly, you know, bring them upstairs and open up a whole feast for them and please eat. Let me hear your story, let me hear your troubles, and he would listen to them intently. He would hear all of their sorrows and he would take notes, copious notes, from every person that came and he would say, wow, I from every person that that came and he would say wow, I married, yes, a wife. I have many children. How many children? Wow, how much money would that be that you would need every week, you know, to support your family.

13:15
And they would tell him then you know, it's okay. So now, what do you want from me? You know, and you would get their address and all of that information. They would be like what do you mean? I came to you because you're a wealthy man. I thought you would give me charity. You came to me. You think I'm going to give you money? Get out of my house. He'd throw them down the steps. Get out of here. Don't ever come back here again. Don't even think of ever coming to ask me for money again. And like this, it was a decoy. Nobody realized that he was the actual guy who was putting that money down.

13:45
And when the rabbis realized what a mistake this was, they added to his tombstone instead of just being Yassala the miser, it was Yassala the holy miser, because he did everything that he did with such modesty and such humility that it was a repentance of the community, such modesty and such humility that you know it was a repentance of the community. And the rabbi said he wanted to be buried next to him and in fact when you look at the tombstone of Yassal the Holy Miser in Krakow, you see that the rabbi's tombstone is right next to his and they extended the whole cemetery to include but it's right at the edge of the cemetery already and it really is a special thing that someone who's able to give on such a high level of giving where it's completely anonymous, that's something that's again, it's not expected that we should all live up to that level, but it's something definitely for us to aspire to reach that level of giving. Likewise, when a person has to rely on others for the provisions of his needs, his face changes colors out of embarrassment and it's really humiliating that someone needs to come on to someone else for their needs. The Gemara further underscores the plight of one who needs to borrow from others. Rabbi Ami and Rabbi Asi said Such a person who needs to come on to other people for assistance is being sentenced twice.

15:28
Two punishments eish v'mayim, fire and water. Two punishments, fire and water. They're both an allusion to the embarrassment that the borrower suffers by being pressed for payment when he has no funds to pay. So that's one embarrassment and the other is when he's embarrassed to ask. So he's embarrassed to ask. That's one embarrassment. And the other embarrassment is when they say time to pay up your loan and he doesn't have that money, which, by the way, the Torah teaches us is a prohibition. It's a prohibition in the Torah to ask for your loan back if you know the person cannot pay it back. Now, if a person can pay it back, they're obligated to pay it. They're obligated to pay it back. Now, if a person can pay it back, they're obligated to pay it. They're obligated to pay it even if they can't afford it. But to ask for it when you know that they can't, when you know that they can't, is a prohibition in the Torah and something that a person has to be very careful because that could be an embarrassment to the person who borrowed. Very, very embarrassing. He really wants to pay. Nobody wants to be in debt. Very, very embarrassing. He really wants to pay. Nobody wants to be in debt. And when they're coming and asking, it is humiliating.

16:51
Okay, so the Gemara now returns to the teaching reported by Rav Chalbo in the name of Rav Huna. Amar Rav Chalbo, amar Rav Huna. Rav Chalbo said, in the name of Rav Huna La'olam yehi adam zayir b'tfilas mincha. A person should always be diligent with regard to the mincha prayer, the afternoon prayer. Why? Because we see that Elijah the prophet was answered only through his mincha service, through his mincha prayer, as it states. And it was at that time of Menachah that Elijah the prophet approached and said answer me, hashem, answer me. And we know that he was answered. And then it says answer the request made by me that fire should come down from the heavens, and also answer me, because I don't want people to say that I have been acting with witchcraft. And this is when the Jewish people were serving Baal, which was an idolatry, and Elijah was confronting them. He placed a sacrifice on the altar without providing fire to burn it, and he prayed that a fire come down from heaven consume his offering. And God answered his prayer. When was that prayer? In the afternoon, all right. So a person has to be very careful.

18:18
The Gemara records a similar warning with regard to evening prayer. So we see there's going to be plenty of caution for a person to be careful about all prayers. Rabbi Yochanan Omer. Rabbi Yochanan says Even with the evening prayer, one should be very diligent with its observance, shememar, as it states. It states Let my prayer stand as incense before you, the uplifting of my hands as an afternoon mincha. So, just like the mincha, my evening prayer should be so Okay. So we see over here that the importance for afternoon prayer and the importance for evening prayer.

19:08
Gemara concludes with a warning that concerns the Shachar's prayer as well, the morning prayer. Rabbi Nachman Bar Yitzchak said, regarding morning prayers as well Sh'nemar Hashem boker, tishma koli boker, erach loch ve'etzape, hashem. At dawn, hear my voice. At dawn, I will arrange my prayers before you and I wait expectantly. So Hashem awaits our prayer. We mentioned last week how, which was released as a podcast this morning, but that Hashem waits for us. Hashem waits for our prayer. We mentioned last week how, which was released as a podcast this morning, but that Hashem waits for us. Hashem waits for our prayers, the power of our prayers, that Hashem waits for our prayer. And when someone doesn't pray, hashem's like what's going on? Hashem asks what's up with this guy? Why isn't he here? It's a very serious question what's going on? Why is this person not here?

20:12
So it's important for us to recognize that morning, afternoon and evening, it's an obligation for us to pray. Now we have to define what is prayer? Prayer we've said I don't know how many times, but prayer means talking to God. Talking to God does not mean with a prayer book. Talking to God means opening your heart and talking to Hashem, your creator. Now, a person has to be very, very careful, though, because when we use our own words, we don't necessarily know how to decode our prayers or how to code our prayers properly. We have a lot of channels that the prayers need to go to through. There are barriers that stand in the way. The prayer is the way our sages constructed it. For us, the men of the Great Assembly, the way they have constructed our prayers is all, with the codes all perfectly aligned, so we can get the prayers to the right place. So there's a tremendous benefit to praying with the words of our sages In fact, something we have not spent a lot of time on in our prayer class.

21:33
But the number of words that are used in each blessing is very specific. The number of words used, the number of prayers, the number of blessings they're all very, very deeply significant, deeply entrenched in Kabbalistic teaching. It's amazing because the more I investigate and prepare for our prayer podcast, I see so many different versions of prayers, different orders and how the prayer is assigned. Everyone has the same words, but the order is different. But they all have the exact same number of phrases. For example, in Yishtabach, in Baruch Sha'amar, ashkenaz has one way, sephard has another, the Eidot HaMizrach the people from the Middle Eastern countries have a different custom. The Polish Jews had one version, the German Jews had a different version, but the same exact number of praises to Hashem. The exact same number, because deep in Kabbalistic connections there has to be. Each single word is numbered.

22:54
We don't just say things, because there's tremendous secrets to it. Now, we very hard for us to decode it. We're trying to do that in our prayer podcast, but it's important for us to understand that. It trying to do that in our prayer podcast, but it's. It's important for us to understand that there's a whole realm that's way beyond our comprehension. Now it does that mean that a person shouldn't pray with their own words? No person has to pray with their own words. There's an obligation. If we don't know the prayers, say say the words out of your heart.

23:24
Talk to Hashem, because that is ultimately the greatest part of our connection with Hashem, the greatest part of our mitzvah to pray is our own talking to Hashem, and this is sometimes overlooked by people who do pray from youth, children who learn to pray at a young age are saying the same words. They're singing the same tunes their whole life, potentially not feeling that closeness with the words that they're saying, because it's just a habit. That's something for us to wake ourselves up and ensure that we are not just saying words, but that we're feeling that closeness, we're feeling that connection, the way we ought to feel that closeness and connection. So this is also a very, very fundamental principle and it's something we need to again and it's something we need to again awaken within ourselves the idea and the thought and the reality that we're talking directly to Hashem. We're not just reading from a book. We have to connect to it and that's why it's important for us to learn the prayers, understand the prayers and, hopefully, when we recite the words of our prayers, to apply our connection to it.

24:49
Okay, so now a fourth statement regarding Rav Chalbo, in the name of Rav Huna. Rav Chalbo said, in the name of Rav Huna anyone who benefits from a banquet of a bridegroom, go to a wedding and you enjoy the wedding, but you don't utilize that opportunity to fulfill the mitzvah of gladdening the bride and groom. You don't use it as an opportunity to make them happy. That's the obligation to those. Ovir b'chamisha kolos.

25:36
He violates the spirit of the five sounds that are mentioned in the following verse. It says that there are different sounds that are represented in the joy of a bride and groom. Okay, and they are kol sason, kol simcha, kol chason, kol kala kol omrim hodu es Hashem tzvakos. The sound of joy and the sound of gladness, the sound of a groom and the sound of a bride and the sound of gladness, the sound of a groom and the sound of a bride and the sound of people saying Praise Hashem, master of Legions. So the Gemara asks and what's? If he does make the bride and groom happy, then what? What's his reward? The Gemara says Rabbi Shubin Levy says he merits the Torah which was given through the five sounds as well. We know that there were kolos, there were sounds.

26:40
It says in this week's Torah portion, in Parshas Yisro. In Parshas Yisro, we talk about the kolos of Rokim. I urge you, please, this week's Torah portion, yisro. In Parshas Yisro, we talk about the Kol HaZabrochem. I urge you, please, this week's Torah portion, do me a favor, do yourself a favor. You'll thank me for it. Open up to the end. If you're not going to read the whole thing and you think that I'm just wasting your time, it's fine. Fine, no problem. I want you to read, please, chapter 19.

27:15
Chapter 19 in Exodus, and you will see the most incredible tale that Hashem describes in our Holy Torah of how the Jewish people received the Torah. We did this previously in one of the episodes. A long time ago we went through these verses and you see where they traveled and where they camped. And then it says to the Jewish people okay, now you can rest over here, and there's a prophecy that I will transport you on eagle's wings. That's referring to the time of Messiah. And now Hashem says and if you keep my covenant and you'll be my most beloved treasure, because all over the land is mine and go and you be to me a kingdom of priests we got our coin right here and a holy nation. These are the things that God instructs Moshe to tell the Jewish people. And the Jewish people respond everything that Hashem says we're going to do, and further it continues that they listen to everything that Moshe says. Moshe tells them to wash their clothes, to become holy and three days to be separated from their spouses. And now come around the mountain and come closer. Don't touch the mountain, just be around it. Be careful not to touch it. Moshe descends from the mountain and gives them all the instructions, as Hashem tells them, and then it says in verse number 16,.

29:06
And it was on the third day, when it was morning and there was thunder and lightning and a cloud that was very heavy upon the mountain and the sound of the shofar again another sound. There were thunders. There was the sound of the shofar. The sound of the shofar was very exceedingly powerful and they trembled. The entire people trembled. It was the sound of the shofar. Chazak Me'od was very exceedingly powerful. Vayech harad kol ha'am, and they trembled, the entire people trembled. Hashem, ramachana, everyone that was in the camp, Vayotze, moshe, sa'am and Moshe brought forth the nation, likrasol, hakim to G-d B'na Machana from their camps, vayis, yatz, v'tach, tis'ar, and they all encamped at the bottom of the mountain.

29:48
You go through it. This is captivating stuff. This is our Torah. Hashem is the script, the screenwriter here. Hashem writes the entire story of our Torah. Get into it. It's amazing. You see the cold shofar again, the incredible sounds that the Jewish people heard. They were terrified. It was unbelievable what was going on over there. And then we start chapter 20. And that's the Ten Commandments, chapter 20. It's absolutely breathtaking. Again, see how Hashem directly talks to us.

30:27
Hashem spoke all of these statements saying I am Hashem, your God. I am Hashem, your God, who has taken you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery. You know who can't say that? All the other idols, they can't say that. All the other idols, they can't say that they took the Jewish people out of Egypt.

30:53
A little problem that people have with the Ten Commandments. I love that it's being displayed in our Texas courts and in our Texas capital. But the truth is that I am Hashem, your God. Hashem qualifies it Asher etzitzicham eretzetzayim beis avadim. It's not. I'm the son of God. No, no, no. I am Hashem, your God, who took you out of Egypt from the house of slavery. Pretty incredible stuff.

31:31
Okay, my dear friends, this is our Torah. It belongs to each and every one of us. This belongs to the rabbis. We've said this Marosh Shekih L'sh Yaakov. This is the inheritance of every single Jew. This is ours, for ours to make our own Own it. Chapter 19, chapter 20.

31:49
You can read all of the parasha Great. Make sure you don't miss out on that. Just try to imagine what was going on. I think the Ten Commandments movie is not required reading. It's not required.

32:07
You don't have to watch it and you don't have to see the footage. But I did watch it after years and years of our students here at Torch persuading me that I have to watch it. So I finally did and I only saw one benefit, because it's so inaccurate, it's so inaccurate, it's grossly inaccurate. But there are some benefits to watching it and that is that you're able to put together an imagery of what potentially did happen. You understand, just to have that vision of the splitting of the sea, to see what it was like to receive the Torah, mount Sinai, is just remarkable. So I do recommend for that sake only.

32:52
But don't take the rest of their commentary and the way they interpret things. You know that's one of my least favorite words in the world is interpretation. So it's important for us to just look at it for the imagery impact that we're able to envision what it was the exodus from Egypt. And you know when we talk in our Pesach Seder that the more we talk about the exodus from Egypt, the more praiseworthy we become because we see the miracles and it's like wow, it's breathtaking, and we become happier because we realize the amazing miracles Hashem has performed for us. There we go, that's right.

33:34
The Gemara asks and if he gladdens the bridegroom, what is his reward? Rabbi Yeshua ben Levi says he merits to the Torah, which was given with five sounds. This week's Torah portion, exactly what we just read. It was on the third day In the morning and there was sounds and lightning and there was a heavy cloud on the mountain and the sound of the shofar very, very powerful. And the sound of the shofar grew stronger and Moses would speak and God would respond to him with a sound.

34:26
The Gemara asks is this so that there were only five sounds? That only five sounds are stated in connection with the giving of the Torah? V'aksev, achola, amrom esakolos, doesn't it say in this week's parasha? And that the entire people saw the sounds. How does that fit in? Digimara answers they are the same as the sounds, as those sounds mentioned above which emanated before the giving of the Torah. The verse that says that the entire people saw the sounds refers to the sounds mentioned previously. It teaches that, although sound is normally not visible. Those sounds were seen by the entire nation.

35:19
Now, if we had less visual eyes and more spiritual eyes, we could also see sound. There are sound waves. If you get to a higher level of spirituality, you're able to visualize the sounds. Perhaps that's what it was. It means they were on such a high level, so removed from their physicality, such a high spiritual plane, that they were able to literally see the sounds. They were able to see the waves of the sounds, which is an existence. It's something you know. It's like you think of, like they invented the internet in the 90s, or ask Al Gore when he invented it, but either way, you know they invented. We did not invent a single thing in the last 5,785 years. Not a single thing was invented. We've only made discoveries of things that were already here the radio and sound waves and internet. All of these things, wireless internet everything you can think of was already here. Hashem is slowly allowing it to be revealed to us, to be discovered but not invented. Nobody invented anything. The electricity was always here and if you look carefully, you may be exposed to it in our parasha. You may reveal it here in our parasha, hidden in the words of the Torah.

36:54
The Gemara teaches further regarding one who gladdens a bridegroom. Rabbi Avoh said it is as if he brought the todah the thanksgiving offering. Why it is as if he brought the todah the thanksgiving offering. Why? Because when does someone bring a thanksgiving offering? When he's happy and when he's giving thanks. Right, he's giving thanks. I'm so thankful, right. So, in giving the groom the joy of his wedding day, as if you brought a Thanksgiving offering, why, as the verse states, mevim todah beis Hashem, they bring todah the offering to the temple of Hashem. Another praise for one who gives joy to a bride and groom. Rabbi Nachman Bar Yitzchak said it is as if he built up the ruins of Jerusalem. Shemem, as the verse states, for I will return the captivity of the land as at first said, hashem.

38:17
The Gemara records a fifth statement regarding Rav Chalbo, in the name of Rav Huna. A fifth statement. You know this many times happens in the Talmud, where an opinion is brought in by one of the Tanayic sages or the Amoreic sages and once they already bring him up. While we're at it, let's bring a few more of the quotes so that we can learn from his great teachings, and then the Talmud will return back to its original thought. A little bit of an ADHD style of study, right For those of us who are you know. Our sages thought of us and said oh, while we're already at speaking about Rav Chalbo in the name of Rav Huna, let's say a few more things that he's talked about. Kol odam, she'es per yeras, shemaim, devarav nishmaim Anyone who fears heaven, his words are heard.

39:10
You ever wonder why things fall on deaf ears Sometimes. Talmud says when you're God-fearing, your words will be heard, but if you're not God-fearing, the obvious opposite is true. By strengthening sorry, people will accept what he has to say, for a sincerely God-fearing person is loved and respected. Alternatively, the Gemara means that he is more effective than others in giving rebuke because he will not be accused of hypocrisy. So we know the biggest challenge to rebuke is it's so hypocritical, you know it's good for you, you, but not good for me. Right for me.

39:51
I can, I can point fingers at everybody else, but do I point fingers at myself? No, but someone who's truly god fearing, not people fearing god fearing. So what happens? I fear hashem. Therefore, I try to do everything that is the will of hashem and therefore, when I also a person who reprimands others without being cautious, without being deliberate in every word that they, and in being ensuring that they're doing it out of the goodness of their heart, not out of their own spite for someone, because if you don't like someone, you can find a lot of flaws in them. But if you love somebody, as the Torah says, you should love your fellow as yourself. In such a case, if you really love yourself which we all do, hopefully I don't like when people criticize me. So what would be a way in which I would like to be criticized?

40:53
Someone who really loves me says something in a kind way, so then like, oh, they really care about me. They didn't say it to knock me, they didn't say it to belittle me or to humble me. They said it because they care about me, they want me to succeed, they want me to be better, they want me to improve and therefore they're bringing it to my attention. So if I want to reprimand someone else, I have to love them first, I have to care about them first. Not that I'm saying it because I have spite against you and I'm going to let it out and quote fulfill my commandment, right? No, no, no, no. That's not the way you properly reprimand someone. So here he says that because a righteous.

41:34
The Talmud says that since someone who is God-fearing is not a hypocrite, they're not going to reprimand you for something that they're guilty of. They're going to do it in a proper way. Guilty of, they're going to do it in a proper way. Therefore, such a person, his words are heard. Sovdovra kol nishma is the verse states in I believe this is in Koheles and Ecclesiastes. Sovdovra kol nishma is the l'kim yira. The sum of the matter is when all has been heard, fear God, and if you have proper fear of God, all of your words will be heard.

42:13
Gemara analyzes the end of this verse fear God and keep his commandments right. The Sola Kim Yerav, it's Mitzvah of Shemar. Kizah kol ha'adam, for this is all of man. The Gemara now says what does that mean? Kizah kol ha'adam, that's all of man. Am Gemara now says what does that mean? That's all of men.

42:32
Amr Ha'Balazer says that such a person who is God-fearing and keeps the mitzvot, the whole world was created for them. The whole world was created for them. For the sake of that person, the person who fears God and keeps his commandments. Rabbi Abba Bar Kahana says that it means that a person who is so righteous. This person is considered to be equal in importance to the entire world. Equal in importance to the entire world Reb Shimon ben Azei Omer. Reb Shimon ben Azei says Ve'amilah. Reb Shimon ben Zoyma Omer. And some say it wasn't Reb Shimon ben Azei, but rather Reb Shimon ben Zoyma who said Kol olam kula lonivra ella l'tzeves zeh. The phrase actually means to say that the entire world was created only to serve as an accompaniment for this person, meaning, you know, who should actually benefit from all of this world? Such a person, a person who is dedicated to the study of Torah and the performance of mitzvahs. And now let's finish off with one more sixth statement from Rev Helbo, in the name of Revzvahs. And now let's finish off with one more sixth statement from Rav Chalbo, in the name of Rav Huna. He says V'amir Rav Chalbo, amir Rav Huna. Rav Chalbo said, in the name of Rav Huna Kol shehdea bechaveru shuhu rog eliten lo shalom.

44:00
Anyone who knows that his friend is accustomed to you should advance the greet to your friend first. You know they're going to say hello. Say hello first, be the first to say hello. Seek peace and pursue it.

44:23
And if a person says hello to you and you don't respond. You don't reply with hello, necro-gazlan, you're considered a thief. Someone said hello and you didn't reply. Be'atem ha-kerem izelas ha-oni b'vatechem, you have consumed the vineyard. Property robbed from the poor is in your houses. Our sages tell us that this is referring to someone who says hello to you and you don't reply back. Consider to be a thief if you don't give the proper courteous response in return. We say just be a mensch, just be a citizen, be a human being. We're not asking for too much. Just be a mensch is what we say in Yiddish. Right, be a mensch. You don't return a hello, you consider to be a thief.

45:23
I want to share with you a very sad incident that I witnessed today. So I was in synagogue and there was a child that was leaving synagogue and heading to school. There's sometimes many school children like to pray in synagogue with their father, not to pray in the school, which is fine. Everyone should do what's best for their child and for their family, but this child I saw this is after prayer was done already. The child was leaving and he said to his father goodbye about eight or nine times. I'm heading to school. Okay, bye, all right, I'll see you later. Okay, I'm going to school and the father was busy looking at his phone and didn't realize that.

46:14
And I think that that is a tragic, a tragic incident. Why? Because that's first is the child needs to get that. Have a great day. I love you response. The child is desperate for it and begging for it and is not getting it. Why? And he's seeing that the phone is more important than me, and I want to share with you an amazing line, an amazing, amazing quote that I saw just yesterday. I screenshot it because I was so impressed by this.

46:55
I think it is worthwhile repeating it here. This is the internet brings people who are distant closer and people that are close it distances. Phones is the same thing. Someone who's across the globe. It brings them so close. Right, they're so far away and it brings them so close, but yet the people who are so close, it makes them feel so far. Hashem should bless us all to feel close to one another and to not neglect.

47:34
The Gemara here warns us. The Gemara warns us of be careful to be the first one to say hello. You see, your friends say hello first. Don't give them the opportunity to say hello first. You be the first. Why P them the opportunity to say hello first? You be the first. Why Pursue peace, run after peace.

47:56
It's amazing that the name of peace, everybody knows the name of peace. What's peace? In Hebrew, shalom is peace right, and what is goodbye Shalom and what is hello Shalom and what is hello Shalom and what is the name of Hashem Shalom? Hashem says I want my name to be the name you use when you greet each other with peace. By the way also, we see the name of Hashem is also the word shalom is also complete.

48:36
When we say shalom, what we're saying Hashem should be with you. We're also blessing the person that they should find their perfection. Who greets people like that? We say hello, hi, what's up, right, and we don't imagine we greeted one another with peace. Be upon you. Hashem should bless you. You should find your perfection.

49:00
That's the blessing that we say when we say shalom to a fellow man, which is why the halacha says that when one is in the restroom where we're not allowed to enunciate God's name, you're not allowed to say shalom. Someone walks in. You're in the middle of washing your hands in a public bathroom. Someone walks in hey, shalom. How are you Not allowed to say the name, not supposed to talk there either.

49:25
Another side, halacha. But a person has to be careful not to utter Hashem's name there. Even if I'm greeting somebody, I'm saying hello. It's not the right place Because a greeting that we make to our fellow man, that gesture is also praising him with Hashem's name. So, my dear friends, this concludes today's episode of the Thinking Talmudist podcast, and I'm so thrilled, so thrilled to be here and to learn together, right before Shabbos, to bring in the Shabbos with Torah. Hashem should bless us all that we should always be the first to greet others with hello and we should merit to be greeted by Hashem with His countenance as well. Always omein, have a magnificent Shabbos. Thank you so much.

50:17 - Intro (Announcement)
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