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.

00:13 - Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe (Host)
Welcome back, my dear friends, welcome back this Friday afternoon. Erev, shabbos, kodesh. Oh, we're about to enter into the Shabbos, but what's better than entering into Shabbos with a little piece of Talmud? And now we're going to move from the tractate of Eruvin to the tractate of Berachot. The tractate of Berachot is the first tractate in the Talmud and we're on 6B. Okay. So the Talmud here says the following the reason I want to talk about this is because we are doing our prayer class on Tuesday mornings and I think it's important for us to discuss also our Sunday morning podcast, the Everyday Judaism podcast, where we discuss the prayer in the synagogue, the prayer with the Torah reading, etc. I thought it was important for us to just learn a little piece of Talmud about praying in our place, in our proper place.

01:16
The Gemara cites a teaching from Ravim Bar Rav Adah in the name of Rabbi Yitzchak. So, amar Ravim Bar Adah, amar Rav Yitzchak, so said, in the name of Rabbi Yitzchak, anyone who is accustomed to coming to the synagogue and doesn't come, one day, the Almighty inquires about him In Nehmer, as the verse states who is there among youirei? Hashem, shomea b'kol avdo? Who is there among you that fears Hashem, who listens to the voice of his servant, that's Hashem Asherahol achasheichim ve'einog alo, one who walked in darkness and does not have light. Talmud here states that on this occasion he went to a place of darkness rather than arise in the light of morning to attend the synagogue. Itzchaim interprets walked in darkness to mean that he arose while it was still dark to go on a journey, and this is the term used as reference to a person who was accustomed to going to the synagogue. So now we see that the Almighty loves when we come to pray in synagogue and the Almighty inquires when we don't show up. Hey, what's going on? Is everything okay? Why is this important to Hashem, ever wonder? We'll see another piece of Talmud. It's going to be like what. Hashem has more important things to care about than us showing up at synagogue. Let's see the next Talmud.

02:55
Reb Yitzhak explains that whether or not such a person does not have light depends on the reason for his absence for the synagogue. Have light depends on the reason for his absence for the synagogue Im lidvar mitzvah halach. If the reason that he went was for the sake of a mitzvah matter, no galo, then he has light. V'im lidvar eshuz. But if he went for an elective matter to earn a livelihood, ain't no, galo? He does not have light. Meaning Hashem is perhaps not pleased with it?

03:29
The verse continues let him trust in Hashem, my time. What is the reason for this that it says that he does not have light? Mishum dahavaleh liftach ba'ashem b'shem, hashem ve'lo batach. So what is he saying here? He says he should have had more trust in Hashem. It's an amazing thing. What's going on here?

03:48
This person left early. He didn't show. He left when it was night. He didn't show up to synagogue. He had to run early on a flight to go on a business trip.

04:01
The Talmud says what's the problem? He has to do what he has to do. That's why he missed it. There's no lacking a little bit of trust in Hashem. He had more trust in Hashem, he would pray and not run to his business. He would have spent the time. Spent the time in the synagogue instead of running for his livelihood. We have to understand what this means, right? What does the Talmud mean when it says that he should have had more trust?

04:26
If you look over here in the commentary, the commentary says one might have reasoned that since it is a mitzvah to earn a livelihood for one's family. The law should be that when a person is engaged in this pursuit, he is not required to attend the synagogue. Scripture therefore refutes this argument by stating that one should trust in God to provide his livelihood. The Gaon of Vilna, the Gra, explains that during the time of prayer, it is not a mitzvah to earn a living, because he should rather go at that time to beseech God than for his needs. By working instead of going to pray, he displays a lack of faith in God's providence and he's saying I'm putting more trust in my work than in the hand of Hashem, and that is problematic.

05:15
Okay, so now it's two interesting things here. Number one is being consistent with synagogue. That when we don't show up, God asks where are you consistent with synagogue? That when we don't show up, god asks where are you? Everything, okay, what's going on? It's an amazing thing.

05:33
You know I'm not God, and when someone doesn't show up to class, right, I typically don't call them, unless it's been an extended period of time that they haven't shown up. But it's maybe something I should do. I should be God-like, right, we're on a mission to be godlike. If someone doesn't show up, I should probably call them. So maybe we'll start that. Maybe I'll start that custom of calling people when they don't show up to class, but I don't want you to feel like I'm being your English teacher, like where were you? You have a note from your parents while you weren't here. So, oh, yeah, I know. So we'll have to.

06:09
I'm not going to publicly ask David and Susan where they were, but nobody knows who David and Susan is. Maybe they're David and Susie Goldstein, right? Maybe the David and Susan Finkelstein, yeah, but nobody knows who David and Susan are. So we're going to keep it private. We're going to keep it private, but just know that when you watch this video, david and Susan, we're waiting for you back at the center and we're asking, just like God asks, when we don't show up to synagogue, where are you? We're asking when you don't show up to Torch, where are you?

06:39
And this is from the Talmud in Brachot 6b. Okay, the second piece here is that a person has to have trust in Hashem. We see this very, very clearly here, that when someone is immersed in the pursuits of God, they have nothing to go and make an endeavor to earn a living, because God will take care of it. God will take care of it. Okay. Now the Talmud continues with another very important teaching.

07:04
The Gemara quotes another teaching about absence from synagogue Amr Rabi Yochanan. Rabi Yochanan said when, at the moment that God comes to a synagogue and he did not find a quorum of ten men there, immediately Hashem becomes angry. Shemem, as the verse states, madu'a basi ve'in ish korosi ve'in oneh? Why have I come and there is no man Meaning I have called and there is no one who answers. God doesn't appreciate that. He comes every single day lovingly to synagogue to hear our prayers and there's no meaning, there's no quorum, perhaps a sign of disrespect that people are not valuing the prayer. Okay, the conversation with Hashem. The Gemara cites the first of several teachings of Rav Halbo in the name of Rav Huna. But I want to say something else here, in the commentary here, if a meaning is not present when the time for prayer arrives, it is clear that the local residents are seriously lacking in their devotion. This provokes God's anger, god's wrath.

08:20
The Gemara above taught this is in the page earlier 6a that the divine presence arrives early to be present at the prayers of a minion. Here we refer to a case in which the divine presence came early to a synagogue, expected to find ten men, who usually pray there, but he found only nine. You know there's something called the Barditcheviminion, basically one of the great Hasidic masters, the Levi Yitzchak of Barditchev. He used to say if you have nine, you will always have a tenth. The trick is getting to the nine. You have seven, you're not there yet, but when you have nine, a tenth will always show a 10th. The trick is getting to the nine. Right, you have seven, you're not there yet, but when you have nine, a 10th will always show up right Over here.

09:12
The Talmud on 6a says, for example brings from Abba Binyamin. Abba Binyamin says ain't filo sholadam nishmas ella bebesa knessas. The prayer of man is only accepted in a synagogue. Why and he brings a verse for it. It says over here and how do we know that God is present in the synagogue when we pray? Which is probably a very good reminder for each and every one of us that when we pray, when we are in synagogue, it's probably not the appropriate thing for us to talk why God is here. God is here, god is right there in the synagogue, that God is right there in the synagogue, and from where do we know that the presence of God is there when ten are praying, again, he brings another verse for that. And then the Talmud continues to go and talk more about the importance of being in a synagogue. But soon we're going to see something which is very, very important, and that is not only to be in synagogue for prayer, but also to be in your set place for prayer. In your set place for prayer, listen to this Talmud.

10:38
The Gemara cites the first of several teachings of Rav Chalba. Right Amar Rav Chalba, amar Rav Huna. Rav Chalba was said in the name of Rav Chalba right Amar Rav Chalba, amar Rav Huna. Rav Chalba was said in the name of Rav Huna.

10:46
Kol ha'kovei hamakom mitfilaso l'keav ram be'ezro. You hear that Anyone who establishes a set place for his prayer, the God of Abraham will be there to help him. Okay, if you have a set place for prayer, the God of Abraham will be there. U'kish'e meis omrim lo e onov e chosid. Woe for the loss of this humble man. Woe for the loss of this devout person, meitamidav shalav ram avinu, for he is a disciple. He is a student of Abraham, our forefather. Why, what do you mean? What do you mean? He's a student of Abraham, our forefather. Why, what do you mean? What do you mean? He's a student of Abraham. Why, it says Because Abraham also set a place for prayer.

11:35
How do we know this? The verse says Remember when Abraham woke up early to bring Isaac as an offering to God, with a binding of Isaac, what happened? It says that Abraham arose early in the morning to the place where he stood before God. He always stood there. That was his place. That was his place. That was his place and we know that. What is the prayer called the Amidah? Called Amidah means the place in which you stand. That's your place. It is interpreted as referring to nothing other than prayer. As the verse states. We know v'yifalal and pinchos stood up and prayed. So we see the same verse that's used for Abraham about standing is used for pinchos for standing in prayer. And that's how we link the two. We know that wherever it's referring to standing, it's referring to your place of prayer.

12:46
Here's an incredible gift that we have every single opportunity that we get to be in a synagogue to have a set place. This is why there are people who pay extra money in synagogue to have a reserved seat. In synagogue, to have a reserved seat They'll pay to have. You know, sometimes they'll put their name on a little plaque by their seat, which has their name, so that way it's reserved for them and even if there's a guest in town, the guest knows this is somebody's seat. If the person comes, he shows up, then they'll have to vacate that seat for him. If they don't show up, someone can sit and enjoy it. It doesn't belong, it's not their property, but it is reserved for them. So this is a very special thing for a person to have a set place for prayer. There's a very important halacha that is derived from this, where our sages tell us I don't remember where I saw this specifically, but I remember learning that even someone who does not pray in a synagogue, for whatever reason someone's home, someone's taking care of their children, someone has an emergency, and therefore they cannot pray in a synagogue, whatever it may be, you pray at home. You should have a set place at home also for your prayer, a set place.

14:10
Talmud here continues and now says another statement of Baruch B'Chel Bo, in the name of Rav Huna Hayot Tzimbe, besa Kness is one who leaves a synagogue al yafsiyah psiyah gasah. He should not take long strides. I mean, don't run out of shul. Okay, can anybody understand why. For by doing so, says Rashi, he shows that staying in synagogue is a burden for him. I don't want to pray, I'm running out, running as fast as I can. You know, it's funny. Because the Talmud says Talmud relates that there's a special holiness and purity to children. But still, regarding children, it says that they're like there's an example that's brought multiple times in the Talmud like a child who runs away from school. As much as kids love to learn, they love to run away from school a lot more. Everyone like they just want freedom.

15:16
It reminds me of a question that's been asked many, many, many times when does a person get his neshama? Do you get it when the baby is conceived? Do you get it when the baby has a working brain, function, a heartbeat? At what point does the baby get its neshama? There's a big dispute in the Talmud, big dispute in the Talmud. When is it? That's when it's taken. When do we get it Right? Do we get it? Our sages tell us at birth why. Sages explain If the baby would get the yetzahara in utero, the baby would tear open the womb. The baby would tear open the womb why? Because the number one function of a yetirah is.

16:20
I want no limitations, no barriers. I want to be free. Freedom is the man's greatest desire is freedom. It's a good thing. Also a dangerous thing. If you look at it, it's really an astonishing development.

16:40
This United States of America it's almost unheard of to have a culture, a nation that is committed to freedom, to personal freedom. You're free to go to do, to study, to practice religion, to speak freely, unless you are not getting into the politics, unless you don't vote like us, and then we're going to send the IRS after you, or we'll send the FBI after you, or we'll send others, other agencies after you. But again there's, we have to be very careful. We're living in a. We have to appreciate this, appreciate that we're living today in the most incredible democracy in the history of the world In the history. We have to appreciate that. We spoke about this in our prayer podcast last week where we talked about thanking Hashem that you have an American passport.

17:46
Do you know what people would do in the world out there to have the freedoms that we have? It's truly a gift. We have to appreciate it, because if you don't appreciate it, you'll be miserable. If you don't appreciate the things that you have in life. That's how you become really, really miserable. It's really, it's a big challenge. Some people don't know that Our world today that has so much, so much tragic, that our children don't appreciate adequately, because if they did, they'd be so much happier. They really appreciate it.

18:31
Forget about the phones, technology, food, the plentiful food, the bounty. You think about it. You don't have to go to a specific place in the world anymore to buy a specific fruit. You can get it anywhere. Refrigeration with temperature management it's unbelievable what you can eat today and 12 months of the year you have watermelons and 12 months out of the year you have all of the fruits and all of the. I thought it's a seasonal thing. It is a seasonal thing, but we're able to make those seasons artificially. So either way, I think it's just an important point for us to just stop for a second and appreciate.

19:21
But when a person leaves synagogue, a person shouldn't leave running, because that's a sign of disrespect. The synagogue I'm running away from synagogue. The statement is qualified. Amar Abaya says we say this applies only with regard to going out of the synagogue, but when someone is going to synagogue, it is a mitzvah to run. Let us pursue, let us run after knowledge of Hashem. A related teaching says let us pursue, let us run after knowledge of Hashem. A related teaching Amar Avzeir Avzeir says Eresh.

20:09
At first, when I saw, originally when I saw the rabbis, the rabbinic students running to the lecture on the Shabbos, I initially thought that these students were desecrating the Shabbos. Amino komechalyon rabbon on Shabbos, I initially thought that these students were desecrating the Shabbos Kev in the Shaman, elohod de Rabtanchum, omer Reb Yishua ben Levi. But when I heard this teaching from Rabtanchum, who said, in the name of Reb Yishua ben Levi Le'olam yorutz oddam ledvar halacha ve, that a person should always run to hear a matter of Torah law, even on Shabbos, because the verse states and they shall go after Hashem, who will roar like a lion, I too began to run. So what our sages are telling us here is that it's a mitzvah to run to a mitzvah. To run to a mitzvah, we don't run from a mitzvah.

21:11
Okay, the Gemara records several teachings that follow the same pattern as the previous one. Omar Abay Abay said agra dekala duchka, the reward that comes from attending to the bride. So kala is referring here to, not a bride, sorry to kala, which is a public lecture, like a yarche kala, a public lecture on the laws of a festival given on a Shabbos preceding a festival. They typically would do it the Shabbos before a holiday. So he says, someone who does that will be rewarded. What is the reward for it? The reward is for being squeezed by the crowd there. He says over here, you'll be rewarded for it.

22:03
Amar Rava Rava says agor deshmeis ha-svara. The reward that comes from a halachic discussion is for the reasoning it involves, meaning your mind will be open. You'll be rewarded mainly for the mental effort spent in understanding its reasoning, meaning you'll benefit by the whole process of the discussion. Svara Amarav Papa Rav Papa said agra dbe tamyo shtikuso. The reward that comes from visiting the house of a mourner is for one's silence. There you learn to be quiet. It means there's different things. You learn to be quiet. It means there's different things. You learn from different experiences.

22:46
Amar Marzutra says agra deta niso citkasa. The reward that comes from fasting is for giving charity. When you fast, you give charity. So that is the benefit that comes as a byproduct of fasting. Amr Avsheshes Avsheshes says the reward that comes from delivering a eulogy is for wailing. And Amr Avashi, the reward that comes from attending a wedding is for the words one says. And Amaravashi Agra Debe Hilula Mili. The reward that comes from attending a wedding is for the words one says to the bridegroom that bring him joy.

23:31
So all of these things, there's what we're saying here in the Talmud. What the Talmud is referring here is that there is always a side benefit to the mitzvah that you do. There's a side benefit, meaning I think I'm coming. A plus B equals C, one plus two equals three, not true? There's a side benefit Aside from the one plus two equals three. There's an extra added benefit that you will gain, and that is something which is not to be taken lightly, meaning it's something which is important for us to appreciate when we are studying, when we're doing things. Okay, now the Talmud continues. The Talmud continues with the laws of the synagogue. Omer Rav Huna. Rav Huna said Anyone who prays behind the synagogue is called wicked, wicked person.

24:29
A Rasha, the wicked, walk around about, meaning you could have come in, you could have been part of the minion, and now you're not. You're standing outside right. The side of the synagogue that the congregation faces when praying is called the front, and the side that is behind the congregation, in which the entrance is usually situated is called the back, in which the entrance is usually situated, is called the back. If someone stands behind the back wall and prays in the opposite direction from that of the congregation, his back is turned towards the congregation. Such a person is called wicked. This is because he appears to be denying the one to whom the congregation is praying. They're praying here, I'm praying there.

25:22
You know, we say the halacha says that we should pray towards Jerusalem. We spoke about this many episodes ago. We pray towards Jerusalem. For us, right here, right now, this would be this is eastward, right over here, in front of us, we're facing Jerusalem. But the truth is, if you face the other way, you're also facing Jerusalem. You're just taking the longer route. Someone could say what do you mean? I'm also praying towards Jerusalem, I'm just praying the other direction. That's true but not true. Why is it not true? It's not true because by doing so, you're demonstrating your opposition to the congregation, meaning there's an important factor here of not separating yourself from the congregation, not excommunicating yourself from the congregation.

26:16
This is something so important that we just learned in our prayer podcast this week. It says one of our prayers that we recite after the morning blessings is that don't make us a bad neighbor, and don't give us a bad neighbor. What does a bad neighbor say to our sages? Talmud says an amazing thing. Havetz Chaim brings this. He says anyone who has a synagogue in his community, in his city, and he doesn't attend the synagogue, he's considered a bad neighbor. Huh, why? I'm just a good person, leave me alone, I'm doing my thing. Our sages tell us something. The Chafetz Chaim says this. He says because you know the benefit of going to synagogue, you get friends, you know what happens in synagogue, you meet your neighbors, you're able to schmooze with your friends Of course, not during prayer. It's outside. You can have kiddush together, you can hang around there, you can schmooze, you meet your friends Inside.

27:28
Synagogue is for prayer, but the whole synagogue experience is a socialization of the congregation, of the community joining together, which is why I firmly believe that the greatest disservice that was ever done in Jewish life was the permission of one of the movements allowing their members to drive to Shul on Shabbos, because that created a suburban Jewry where Jews can live wherever they want. As long as you drive to synagogue on Shabbos, that's fine. They lost the fabric of community, which the entire Torah tells us is the key. You have to have community. It used to be that Jews always lived near the synagogue. It used to be like that. You can go. You look at old Houston 100 years ago, the Jewish community, even people who were not Shomer Shabbos, they lived next to the synagogue because that was our community. Now you like a house in Sugar Land, no problem. Like a house in Katy, no problem. But you don't have a synagogue in walking distance. So, okay, you can do whatever you want.

28:43
So what happened is, instead of it raising up the involvement of people in congregation, it lowered the involvement of people in congregation and now it became an annual visit to the congregation, not a weekly, not a daily. And this is a terrible, terrible tragedy. And I'm not pointing fingers at movement. We're all brothers and sisters. We're all brothers and sisters, we're all Jews. We all have the same Torah, we have the same commandments, and this is a tragic thing that has befallen our people. By the way, that same movement that said it's okay, five years later retracted it. That said it's okay, five years later retracted it. They said it was a mistake, we should never have allowed that. It was too late. They let it out of the bag and you can't put it back in.

29:34
This is a real, real, real tragedy for our people and it causes tremendous pain to Hashem as well. Hashem loves us. What do we see? Hashem comes to synagogue to hear our prayers and if we don't show up, hashem is devastated. Hashem is devastated that we're not there. Now, if someone is in the process of growth and they're trying to so again, hashem gives second chances, hashem. But Hashem is the he started this whole thing of second chances. Okay, hashem is the one who who originated that idea. But this is our purpose in life here is to take a step in our growth, do everything we can to take one more step in our growth, one more step, and if we're able to do that, that will be a tremendous, tremendous gift to each and every one of our own person, our own personal growth. We benefit, we get enriched by having the opportunity to pray inside a synagogue.

30:38
When someone is praying the opposite direction, he says, no, I don't want to be part of them. Terrible thing. So why is someone who doesn't go to synagogue it's considered a bad neighbor? It's not that he becomes a bad person, it's just he's not going to be a neighbor. He's not going to have the friendships, he's missing out on the opportunity of connecting to people because he just doesn't show up.

30:59
Like I've had students who moved to the community and as soon as they stopped going to synagogue for whatever reason, suddenly they said to me how come nobody invites me anymore? How come nobody talks to me? It's like no, it's not that nobody talks to you, nobody invites you, nobody sees you, nobody knows you're around. If you're not there, you're not involved. It's very hard for people to know that you exist. Like why don't they invite the person who lives out in Wichita, kansas, because he's not here, so I don't know that there is somebody there? You understand, I don't know that there is somebody there. You understand when someone's so far out of the community by not showing up, not being around, so they're extricating themselves from the congregation? Yes, I personally, and the Torah as well, believes the same. It is better for someone to not go to synagogue and stay home than to drive 100%. I'll tell you why.

32:02
Shabbos is a biblical command, multiple times A biblical command. There's not a single place in the entire Torah, in the Torah that it says to go pray in a synagogue. Not one time it talks about having a set place. Later on it was instructed to us by the rabbinic decree to pray with a minion, but there's no biblical obligation. There is a biblical obligation to Shabbos. So in our precepts growing up it was like synagogue was the most important thing. It's not true. Shabbos is the most important thing. Yes, temporarily, that's correct. Temporarily, I would forego that. All of those benefits of going to synagogue, I would definitely temporarily forego that to not desecrate the Shabbos. So what's my solution? Move to a place where you're close to a synagogue. You see, it can't go that. I'm locked where I'm at Meaning for me.

33:02
Someone called me up once. He said to me oh, is this Rabbi Wolbe? I said yes, who am I speaking to? He says I heard that there is a new Jewish community opening up in Kingwood Texas, a new Shomer Shabbos community with an Erev, with everything. I said well, it's very possible, but I'm unaware of it. Never heard of it. He said I knew it. I knew it.

33:21
Some realtor said, yeah, there's a Jewish community here, no problem. The realtor didn't even know what a Jewish community was. But they wanted to sell a house, so they sold them a house and it really wasn't true. There was not a religious community that that was getting established there, with an area with kosher food and all of that. The person ultimately ended up moving to the community.

33:38
But again, I would never even look at a community that doesn't have a shul and walking distance. It's not an option for me. It's not an option. And even if there have been times in our history where people had to walk 10 miles on Shabbos each way to shul, people walked a great distance because that was the closest shul. I'm not going to drive, I'll walk. So I have to get up earlier in the morning and I'll come back sweating in the afternoon, but I'm not going to miss on the opportunity to be with my friends to pray to thank Hashem, and I don't want to desecrate Shabbos for it. Yes, to pray to thank Hashem, and I don't want to desecrate Shabbos for it, yes, hopefully there will be one day enough Jews to attend the congregation and hopefully they'll start walking.

34:24
It's a process, I'll tell you like this Someone who grew up driving to shul or not going to shul at all, I don't expect and Hashem, I believe, doesn't expect that change overnight. I don't think it's meant to change None of us, because if we change overnight we lose it. It's not going to last, but it's a process. That means a person shouldn't let go of the vision, meaning a person shouldn't say, oh, I'm never going to become a billionaire, so I'm stopping to desire to become a billionaire. No, I still have that thing, but I have to, you know, get there. It's a process, but we don't give up on the dream. The dream is to be as close to God as possible. God gives the outline in his Torah of exactly how to do that. Part of it is the observance of Chavez. So, but I'm not there yet. Okay, so let's take a step, but let's not let go of that vision of where we want to get to. All right, so that's yeah.

35:19
Any other questions here on this? Well, first is like this I think the pushback will be not from the Reform Synagogue and not about the Shabbos. They don't believe the Torah was given at Mount Sinai. They've got bigger problems than me. They've got God problems. I'm a little fish in that sea. It's tragic that an entire movement is dedicated to fabricating a new Torah which doesn't exist.

35:46
The Torah was given to the Jewish people in Mount Zion. You believe that, right? That's why you're not a Reformed Jew. You may be a member in a Reformed temple, but you're not a Reformed Jew. The Reformed platform, the Pittsburgh platform, or, if you go back to the early 1800s, their declaration in I believe it was in Berlin, right, the home birth, the birthplace of Reformed Judaism was that we don't believe that the Torah was given to Moses at Mount Sinai. And number two is that Jerusalem is not our home and Israel is not our homeland, but Berlin is our Jerusalem and Germany is our land. That was the declaration. But we don't believe that. You don't believe that, right? Of course not. They're trying to move back and I hope they do. We hope they do. It's not us against them.

36:35
Again, we're all on the same team, there's, by the way, just so that we can just get this clear here I don't believe in Reform Judaism. I don't believe in Orthodox Judaism. I don't believe in Conservative Judaism. It's all a bunch of nonsense. I don't believe in any of it. There's two types of Jews. There's a growing Jew and there's a stagnant Jew. And as long as a person is a growing Jew, that's what matters. To just say I'm stagnant, I'm comfortable where I'm at, leave me alone, that's a death sentence spiritually. Our goal and our mission is to always be growing. Yeah, so I can take it one more step and one more notch and one more notch.

37:15
And anybody tells you nah, it's just okay, just do what you do, it's fine. No, we want to grow, we want to. We just like we don't, we're not pleased with anything. Think of money, think of health. We say it's okay, you know what. You don't need to eat healthy, just eat what you're eating, it's fine. You don't need to do exercise, just be sedentary the way you are, it's fine. No, we're going to say no, you've got to change those habits. Right, you've got to become healthier. You've got to become more fit, you've got to be stronger. We don't just say coast, we don't say it with anything in life except, oh, my religion, my religion, it's just fine the way I am Right.

37:54
No, you say tell someone I have a good business opportunity, you're interested? No, I'm comfortable the way I am. Nobody's going to say that, sure, a great business opportunity, I can invest in Bitcoin, right, I'm not, I'm not, but I'm just saying Right. But if the person's going to say, no, I'm good, I'm not looking for another opportunity, you find me one person who says I'm not interested in making more money. There's no such person. We all love another opportunity. It's like someone saying I love music but I don't want to hear more music. No, you love it In our connection with God and we have a deep desire within our soul to connect with that godliness.

38:38
We want it. Each and every person desires it. So, my dear friends, this concludes today's Thinking Talmudist podcast. I appreciate y'all joining us. Have an amazing Shabbos. I look forward to seeing all of you next week, god willing, in Jerusalem in our new Torch Center, the Torah Outreach Resource Center of the Holy Land. There you go, all of you. Next week, god willing, in Jerusalem in our new Torch Center, the Torah Outreach Resource Center of the Holy Land. There you go, that's perfect. Right Next week in Jerusalem, but today in Jerusalem. All right, my dear friends, have a great Shabbos. Thank you so much for joining us.

39:11 - Intro (Announcement)
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