Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection

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

00:08 - Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe (Host)
All right, welcome back, my dear friends, welcome back to the jewish inspiration podcast, to mussar mondays, for the muster master class. It is so wonderful to be here and what a coincidence we were talking before we went live about. There is no coincidence, there's no serendipity, it's the hand of Hashem just lining things up in such a magnificent way that we don't even know how it's possible. And the week that we're having our Torch campaign at GiveTorchnet the only time in the year that we ask that we open up the platform for partnership, we open up the IPO and anyone who wants to invest can invest in Torch it happens to be the week that we're talking about the 17th gate in the ways of the righteous in the Orch HaSiddiquim in the Treasure for Life edition, on page 561, the gate of generosity page 561, the gate of generosity, the gate of generosity. What an incredible gift that we have to be generous. Now, what does it mean to be generous? We think of generosity as giving a lot of money. That's what we think. I'm very generous. Generous, we'll see, has to do with your heart. It has to do with your heart how much you want to give, right? Someone who can only give $1, and he gives the $1. He only has $1, and he gives the $1. Who's more generous, him or Elon Musk giving a million dollars? Right, because to him the $1 is everything he has. Very generous. The Elon Musk million dollars is not everything. He has, not even close. It was a billion and still is less than that person's $1 to what his net worth is. So therefore, we have to understand that generosity is a sliding scale that changes by each individual person by wanting to get to a place, and let's see what the author here of the Yochai Tzaddikim talks about. So generosity, generosity, is a trait through which a man achieves great heights. You achieve unbelievable heights by being generous. When one's generosity is expressed properly, it is extremely praiseworthy and leads to many attainments, both in this world and in the next. As the verse states in Proverbs, a man's giving will broaden the path for him and lead him before the great. By the way, generosity we think about generosity as money, but generosity is also with words, generosity is with kindness, generosity with thought, generosity in so many ways we can be generous. It doesn't have to be a dollar bill. Ki avur matnosov, yevu malachim b'sorim v'chol adam, for his gifts will endear him to kings, princes and all men, all mankind. Ve'ein dover ba'olam ha'mevias ha'adam lidei avas ha'olam kimona divas. And there's nothing that makes a person more lovable to mankind than generosity. And also in the world to come, you will receive fantastic reward for attaining this trait of generosity.

04:03
There are three forms of generosity. There are three forms of generosity. Number one is monetary, which is physical. The second and the third is intellectual. You know what they say. They say is that, for board members, add a board member to an organization.

04:27
They say that you need one of three Ws Work or wealth or wisdom. Those are the three Ws. I say it's neither. I say it's heart. Someone who has a passion for what you're doing. That will overcome and that will be more powerful than someone who has money. It'll be more powerful than someone who has wisdom and it'll be more powerful than someone who works. You need to have someone who has a heart, someone who has a heart for something. They give their all for it. These three attributes, these three beautiful virtues, give their all for it. Ve'elu ha'shlo'sho hoyu b'avram avinu. These three attributes, these three beautiful virtues.

05:11
Abraham had Hoyu n'dibim mano. He was very, very giving with his money. D'ch'siv ha'yit ha'eshal. It says that he planted an eshal. What's an eshal? An orchard.

05:22
If you look at the verse, the verse states that Abraham served each of his three guests a tongue of an animal. That means he had to slaughter three animals, although that is very costly and animals are very expensive, even today. You know, you sell a cow, it's like almost a Tesla. You know it's really expensive, right? Nevertheless, he did not hesitate why he has guests. Prominent guests came to visit him. He's going to slaughter three animals for them, three animals so that each one has tongue.

05:56
And Rashi explains that Abraham would ask his guests to bless Hashem for the provisions he offered them, explaining that ultimately, it was all from heaven. They would say, okay, it's like an inn. You know, we came here, we ate, we rested and we want to pay. He says no, no, no, you pay by repeat after me Thank you, hashem, thank you, right? They're like what's this Hashem business you're talking about? And he explained to them the importance of thanking the creator of heaven and earth and that flowers don't just show up. Now it's March, my favorite time of the year springtime, when all of the beautiful flowers start blooming. It is so beautiful, I love it. The weather is just magnificent.

06:40
Abraham says you think that just happens on its own. You think the perfection of mankind, of a human body, is just random. It's not random. There's a creator who put this all together and Abraham created believers, believers who understood that now there is a monotheistic God. There's one creator of heaven and earth who put it all together. That's how Abraham got followers, but he was generous with people. That generosity transformed the world. Now we're going to see something very interesting. It says he planted an orchard.

07:25
Our sages tell us the Eshel is three letters Aleph, shin and Lamed. Aleph, shin and Lamed what's Aleph? Aleph is for Achila, shin is for Shtiav, which is for drinking, eating and drinking. And the other is for Levaya, which is escorting. Our sages tell us that when you have a guest, you feed them, you give them something to drink and then you escort them out. So no one feels like they came to your house and they needed you, and now you are so gracious to feed them. You feel a little bit uncomfortable, but when you walk them out it gives them a great feeling.

08:06
My rabbi said there's a midrash that says that if you don't escort your guests out, there's danger of fire because aleph and shin, achila and shtia eating and drinking that you give, you provide for your guests, is also fire. It's not an orchard, but when you walk them it becomes an ashel, it becomes a beautiful orchard. Our sages tell us if you only give them food to eat and something to drink, there's a danger of fire coming to your home. My rabbi asked. He says I don't understand. You go out of your way, you invite guests to your home, you prepare delicious food, you prepare the finest beverages, and then you just don't walk them out the door and now you're a danger of your house burning down because of that. He says no, you have to understand what that means. So what it means is eish, fire is always representative of embarrassment. It says that when someone is embarrassed, their face either turns white, pale, their blood is spilled. You embarrass someone in public, sometimes they'll turn pale, or their face will turn red like fire. He says that if you just feed them and give them something to drink, they're embarrassed. I had to come on to somebody else, but when you walk them out, it gives them a good feeling like, oh, he enjoyed my stay, he enjoyed that I was there. It comforts them and that makes it into an orchard so that your guests don't leave with embarrassment with that fire, but rather they leave with a beautiful orchard. You took such good care of them because now, not only you gave them to eat and drink, but you wanted to spend every last moment with them.

09:54
Now one of my Sephardic friends. He says I'm walking you out just to make sure you don't come back. He was just kidding, if you know who I'm talking about, rabbi Jacobi, and he's very funny. So, either way, he says no, I'm not walking you to make you feel good, I'm just walking to make sure you know. Okay. So he says Nadiv Begufo, he was generous with his body. How Shehitzil Lot ben Ochiv, nilcham Avuro, how was he generous with his body? So he was generous with his body. He went to fight for his nephew and, by the way, it was a nephew he didn't really get along with, but he went out of his way and he was a Nadiv b'chochmoso Ki lomad kol li meit kol ha'olam derech ha'yosher, because he taught the entire world the right way, the way of Hashem Ad shin izgairu, until they all convert it. You see, it's an amazing thing.

10:50
Each and every one of us you hear this, david Each and every one of us have some wisdom that we've learned hopefully, maybe from these classes even but you've learned over the years. You've learned something. You've learned. You've read books, you've gained wisdom. You have to share that with the world. That's being generous. That doesn't mean reprimanding people. That doesn't mean going in the bank and correcting people. You know you shouldn't skip over that line and you know there are people waiting, and that's not what we're talking about. That happens in Israel. Are people waiting, and that's not what we're talking about. That happens in Israel. You know they say you know how you raise your child in Israel. Take them to the park. Everyone will teach you how to raise your child. Everyone is opinionated, not that kind.

11:34
We're talking about just sharing wisdom, wisdom. Share it with your children, share it with your family, share it with your neighbors, with your friends. Don't just sit there at Starbucks and have coffee with your family, with your neighbors, with your friends. Don't just sit there at Starbucks and have coffee with your friends and talk about your neighbors and talk about oh, did you see that person? Did you hear about that person? Did you hear about them? You know they went here, they went there.

11:55
No, talk about something inspiring, but how to become a better person like Abraham did. Like Abraham did, abraham wasn't a social guy, he was a very social guy, and you know what. He went to bat for Stom as well, not only for his nephew Lot, he went to bat for the whole city of Sodom and Gomorrah. God tells him I'm going to destroy the city. He says, well, let's talk about this. Maybe if there's 50 righteous, 45, 40, 30, 20, 10, even that there wasn't. But a whole negotiation. You negotiate with God. Who are you to negotiate with God? Buying time, so to speak, even you know why Because he cared, he was generous about the lives of other people.

12:44
So we think generosity is about money. Generosity is not only about money, it's also about your wisdom and it's also about your physical body, volunteering, helping out, putting your neck out for somebody else. And that's what it says. It says in the verse All of the souls that they made in Haran. And this is a very, very virtuous trait, because a person becomes honored, honorable, through this trait. Because a person becomes honored, honorable through this trait Kedixiv rabim yichalu pnei nodiv Many will befriend through it a generous person. Everybody wants to be next to a generous person. What does it mean generous? I'll give you an example I have a friend in Israel, very, very special person. In fact, it's not only him, his whole family. Very, very special person. In fact, it's not only him, his whole family. Very, very special people.

13:50
They learned something from their father that complimenting people doesn't cost you anything and every person he meets, every person he meets, he gives them a nice compliment. Yeah, it's a beautiful tie, you have such beautiful eyes, you have such a nice smile, you're wearing a beautiful jacket Always something nice. And you know what? Everybody I know loves this entire family. Everybody I know wants to be friends with them. Why? Because they're generous. They're generous with words, with compliments. They make everybody feel good. Who doesn't want to be around someone who's generous like that? I know every time I see them they're going to say something nice to me. Every time I see them they're going to compliment, they're going to make me feel good, they're going to uplift me. What an amazing way to live life. Everybody wants to be next to such a person, with such a person who is so generous. Everybody will listen.

15:02
When they chastise someone to return to the service of Hashem L'Avod is Baruch HaBorei. If he needs help, everyone is there to help and everybody is in peace with such a person and no with such a person. Vida and no. Shehamatona V'mokam shehi ru'uya kigon stokal aniyim yirei shamayim Osa hamatona hi matmon sofun she'eno ne'evedes barichus yamim. He says and just know that the proper form of charity, giving to someone who's God-fearing, giving in the right place, giving in the appropriate manner, in a manner that is humble, in a manner that is modest, that nobody needs to know, we don't make announcements, we're there to help.

16:01
Such a good deed goes a very, very, very long way. Ach yomed es kol yomim. It stands forever. Such good deeds endures forever. V'zo ho'iso kavona shlomo melech. This is what King Solomon has taught us. Allah Shalom of blessed memory. Shalach lachmecho al pnei amayim hi berov hayomim tzim tza'ednu. King Solomon said cast your bread upon the water, for after many days you will find it. You spread it out, you give lovingly, it'll come back and it'll be amazing.

16:39
I want to share with you an amazing story If you want to hear how such a thing has happened. There was a man whose daughter got engaged in Ashdod, in the coastal city of Ashdod in Israel. I've said this story before, talking about judging people favorably, but I think it fits in perfectly here. So this man was not a well-to-do man. In fact, he was actually challenged financially and his daughter got engaged and everyone's mazel tov, mazel tov. He's saying, hey, make a wedding. And he's terrified how is he going to make a wedding?

17:16
The rabbi, very privately and quietly, went to a few people in the synagogue and said you know, this person's making a wedding. Maybe we can help him out, maybe we can put together some funds and they put together a nice, modest package so that he can marry off his daughter with dignity. And they give it to him. And comes the wedding and people are absolutely disgusted. This is what we raised money for. This is the charity. This is the we raise money for. This is the charity. This is the nicest wedding we've ever been to. I mean you're talking about. It was decked out. The meal was a 10-course meal. All the flowers are the most magnificent flowers they've ever seen. The lighting, you name it. It was like the most magnificent. They're like this is what we gave money to. Wow, disgusting. It's unreal. It's unreal that someone would do something with the money from charity. This is what we did to help him have a dignified wedding. He goes all out like this. They were very, very distasteful.

18:18
The next day this man comes to shul and nobody wants to say mazal to him, nobody wants to shake his hand, everyone is like ignoring him. A few days later he goes to the rabbi. He tells the rabbi what's going on here. Did I do something wrong? My daughter's wedding. He says look, I'll be honest with you. People are very upset. I'm also a little upset. He says you know, we raised money to help you make a wedding and this is the type of wedding you throw. He says I'll tell you. Let me tell you what happened.

18:46
He says I was surprised by that wedding too. He says when I came to meet the caterer. So I start filling out the application. And I fill out the application and he looks at my name and he says one second, where's your family from? He my family's from a little village you don't know, from Europe pre-Holocaust. He says no, no, no, no. I need to know where's your family from. He says I'm from this little village. He tells him the name. He says no, cannot believe it. He says I've been looking for you my whole life. He says your father saved my father's life. He says I'm here just because of your father. He says forget the application. Whatever you can give, you give. I'm making this wedding for you, he says. I was just as surprised as you were, rabbi. The rabbi's, like we, owe this man a big apology.

19:47
The rabbi spoke to his congregation. He said we need to learn what it means to judge people favorably. We all came and thought we knew the story, and yet we didn't. There's always another side to the story. But look how amazing something that happened 50, 60 years earlier came back and was repaid so many years later. Put your bread out there in the ocean, go help. It will come back to assist you in a later time. How many times? I can't even begin to tell you how many times people donated money to an organization like Hatzalah and purchased an ambulance or purchased a stretcher for an organization that later saved their life with the same equipment they donated.

20:39
I can tell you stories and stories and stories like this when we do something and we're generous, don't make calculations, just do it. It's going to come back. Eventually it will. It will find you. Your kindness, your generosity will come back to benefit you, and that's not why we do it. We don't do it because, oh, one day it'll help me. No, we do it, because this is the will of Hashem. But King Solomon teaches us Shalach lach, mecha, cast your bread upon the water, for after many days it will find you. And this plainly understood verse teaches us about generosity. Someone who sows kindness will reap its harvest, and someone who possesses this trait will become very, very wealthy, exceedingly wealthy.

21:48
As it is written, there are those who scatter and accumulate more. How is it possible they're giving more? I spoke to someone yesterday, the beginning of the campaign, and he tells me Rabbi, I don't think God is happy with me. I said why not? He says I literally have given more charity than I'm allowed to for the next three years. I already gave out my charity. He had a good business deal and the money's being paid out over the next few years. He said I already gave out more than I should be giving out for the next three years. Isn't that amazing? It's an amazing generosity. You know what happens Someone who scatters out accumulates even more.

22:46
As Shem says, you're such a good custodian for my money. You give it out so well. I'm going to give you more to give out for me. If you have a good assistant who writes the checks for you and takes care of it. You give them more responsibilities, right? Hashem does the same. Hashem says it's my money, I'm giving it to you. You're giving it out. Well, I'm going to give you more Because I like the way you're doing this. I like the way you execute on this.

23:19
The Ode Ksiv no Sin Lorosh Ein Machzor. It also says he who gives to the poor will not lack. The Amar Dovid Allah Noshim HaNadivim, king David said about those who were generous Pizar Nosin Le'avionim Tidkoso Medes La'ad, he who has given generously to the poor, his charity endures forever. This noble trade is considered a loan to Hashem. It's an amazing phrase. He who is gracious to the poor lends to Hashem, repays his debts.

24:23
And King Solomon tells us he says Do kindness with one who is worthy of it and with one who is even not worthy of it. With one who is worthy of it, the kindness will be appropriate, and with one who is not worthy of it, you will be worthy of doing it. For Hashem commanded to do good and kindness, and the sages of blessed memory said. He says this is one who gives a great gift to someone who asks is called half generous. The perfectly generous person, our sages tell us, is one who gives always a lot or a little before he's even asked, before he's even asked, before he's even asked. This is unbelievable.

25:24
When we conclude day number 95 in our journey of understanding what it means to be generous, it's just, it's breathtaking. It's breathtaking to see the gift. It's in our hands. We can be generous, we can be giving and we're not even giving away from our own. Hashem says I borrowed it. Thank you for lending it on my behalf. I'm going to give it back to you and you're going to get it right back again and again and again. People think I'm out of funds, I'm out and you're going to get it right back and you're going to get it right back again and again and again and again. People think like, ah, I'm out of funds, I'm really, I'm out, and you give it anyway. Hashem says I'll replenish it. I got it, I got you covered. Thank you for taking care of it for me. My dear friends, we have such incredible opportunity in our hands. This concludes day Day number 95. My dear friends, we're going to continue with day 96. To donate and partner with us on this incredible endeavor.

26:29 - 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.