Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe Podcast Collection

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

00:12 - Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe (Host)
Welcome back everybody to Ways of the Righteous. We're in the Gate of Worry, in the middle of the chapter, on page 423. Adoag ha-mo'eles l'nin ha-Torah. She-yachzor ta-mir ula yishkach k'dechsiv salsel leho u'teroy me'meka.

00:27
Three Worry is of benefit in respect to the Torah. Why? Because it causes one to always review what they learned so that they don't forget it. A person is concerned uh-oh, if I don't review this, I'm gonna forget it. So I'm gonna learn it again, learn it again. Uh-oh, if I don't review this, I'm going to forget it, so I'm going to learn it again, learn it again, learn it again.

00:47
You know, we recently spoke in our class, in our prayer class, of the importance for a person to review everything four times. Review everything four times because that's when you really get a hold on its understanding and not forget it. Yidag pen yasigeyo hezek min hamachlokas. Sorry, gamadagam o'eles le'ini shaloyoriv im b'nei adam b'chinam. A worry is also a benefit in keeping one away from unnecessary quarrels with others, lest they result in his personal injury. Yidag pen yasigeyo hezek min hamachlokas, from unnecessary quarrels with others, lest they result in his personal injury. Because you know, if you're in a fight, nobody comes out unscathed, everybody gets hurt, everybody gets damaged.

01:40
But in the middle of the night, when one arises to study Torah, a person should not be concerned of the evil spirits at night. Rather, let him think how many walk alone at night without being harmed. And therefore a person should not allow his Yetzahara to tell him stay in bed. You know there are the demons out there, the evil spirits out there at night. How many people are outside at night and don't have any interaction with those evil spirits? There's nothing to worry about.

02:23
And therefore our sages tell us don't let the Yetzahara overtake you with worry. Evil spirits, there's nothing to worry about. And therefore our sages tell us don't let the Yitzharah overtake you with worry and fear. Instead, overcome it and do the righteous thing of studying. And, as we see, our sages teach us that studying in the middle of the night, waking up and studying Torah in the middle of the night is on the highest level of dedication. That person is like I'm ready to take away my sleep just to study Hashem's Torah, and let him trust in Hashem and arise and not be afraid. Also, if there is a teacher and a saintly man far from a city, far from a city Very important, he says and you know what Someone might not want to go and travel, to seek counsel from their rabbi, to learn with them, to go to yeshiva. Oh, what's going to be? There are rockets in.

03:40
Israel, so now nobody can go. Oh, there's terrorists in Gaza, oh, I can't go to Israel. And people constantly create these excuses to not do one extra step of connection with Hashem. Or if someone says, oh, I can't go out because I heard there was a story in the news that there was a lion that was loose from the zoo and it could attack me. Maybe that lion, right. But we all know that there are plenty of things that we would say, oh, that's nonsense. When I want to go to the football game, I'm not worried. When I want to go to the grocery, I'm not worried. Well, when it comes to study Torah, suddenly all of the excuses are valid in our eyes.

04:29
Elo yachshuv shirova, olam holchem enen nizokin. A person should consider that most of the world does not have those issues. Gam hukach sotu will be yulayim namach masapachad. And now there's a very fundamental principle kishluche mitzvah en, or those on a mission of a mitzvah, will not be harmed, will not be harmed. We have to know this. The promise in the Talmud Sochem, folio eight be Stove Dover, bottom line b'chol da'agosov v'yigonov y'chavin l'shem sh'mayim.

05:09
In all of a person's sorrows and worries, it should be for the sake of heaven. If, god forbid. Someone loses a loved one, he should mourn and cry and be afflicted by the thought that his own sins may have brought about the death Because, as we may know, as the Talmud tells us, children die for the sins of their fathers and therefore a person should be concerned. Perhaps it's my sin that caused this. We're not saying that any father did a sin that's bringing it, but the Talmud says for a person to ponder that possibility. Maybe it was my. Again, it's not here to frighten parents that if, god forbid, something terrible happens to their child, that they're at fault, but it's to give every person who is affected by a story, whether it be our friend, whether it be our neighbor, a member of our congregation, that maybe I could have done something more, something more righteous. Why did Hashem want me to get this message? Not only the parents, it's every person Behine hu ki, ilu harogo. And it's like if we could have done more, then perhaps by not doing so, we would be considered as if we killed them.

06:34
Bease, tshuva ugdoram v'yizchani, labar yisbarach. A person should therefore occupy himself with repentance and set up safeguards and seek favor from Hashem. Emeis, adam, kosher, yitzdar v'yivkeolof. If someone who is good and righteous died. Everybody who knows about this person should feel bad and cry. And all of those tears that are shed.

07:07
Hashem collects those precious tears. If a what does it say? Put my tears in your vessel, are they not in your book? Meaning Hashem has a special vessel. Hashem collects all of our tears. You know this. You ever heard about this, gary? Hashem has a special vessel. He collects all of our tears because they're so precious to Hashem and we shed a tear that Hashem collects them all. They say the Midrash says that when that vessel is filled, that's when the temple will be rebuilt. You need to cry a little bit more for the destruction of the temple.

07:51
And if there is an affliction or a famine or any other type of outbreak, a pandemic, and that kind of affliction every person should consider, and that kind of affliction Every person should consider. Perhaps it is my sins that caused this. We know that committed the sin of misuse of spoils, and many righteous men fell because of it. Therefore, therefore, everyone must return to Hashem to the extent of their ability. We see that Elijah the prophet did not speak. He refused to speak to Rabbi Yeshua ben Levi because there was a lion that devoured a Jew within three miles of the city.

09:01
Ki ho yelol levakesh rachem sh'lo ye'erat ha'kol osvivav, because he felt that he should have sought mercy that no mishap occur in his vicinity. L'chein, therefore, yifachei tamid mi'inyanim ka'elu. A person should always be concerned for such things. V'chein matzinu kishahoya ra'av shalosh shanim b'mei david. When there was a famine for three years during David's life Khipes be'eza avin hu ba'ar life he looked internally to see why did I cause this famine? And indeed, at the end it says that King David identified what sin he had done that caused his generation to have a famine. Maybe it came on my account, his generation, to have a famine. L'chein b'chol takol yidag shema ma chamas. So ba'ah, maybe it came on my account. That means if every person looked in instead of looking at Fauci, instead of looking at the Wuhan labs, but we looked inside. Perhaps there's something that I was insufficient with, maybe there was something in my character, in my ways, the things that I've done or have not done, that I could have done better, and therefore Hashem is waking me up to bring me back on the path.

10:30
If a person has good luck, good fortune, and he is tranquil, he should be concerned and worried that perhaps he's eating up all of his reward of the world to come In this world. If someone is impoverished and poor and dealing with many afflictions and pains, he should be concerned that perhaps this is because he did sins and he's only going to get his reward in the world to come. And if someone, due to his lack of resources or because of his pain, now interrupted his Torah study Machmasa oniva yisur yidag yoser toh od yoser, the person should be even more concerned. Im hu chacham ha-Torah shem alohoyu masov, lefi chachmaso that perhaps his actions were not suitable for his stature. Ve'im einu chacham.

11:36
And if a person's not so wise, he's not so capable, not so righteous, perhaps he should be concerned that he's not able to get down to the depths of his purpose. And if people give you honor, people are honoring you. Maybe you should be concerned and worried that you're not deserving of that honor. The people know my dark secrets. If they only knew, nobody would respect me. A person should also be concerned that he should not receive his reward from the world to come with that honor that people are placing upon him here in this world. And if a person is really wise and he is being humiliated in the eyes of humanity, he should celebrate this, why the only worry he should have is that, perhaps because he is being humiliated by others, now nobody's going to accept his criticism and that's going to be a terrible thing. Od tovos hadagos v'hanachos. More benefits of worry and the size as we see from Tanah Debeli. Elio Rabba Kol chochem v'chochem. Yisro sh'yesh po divirto la'amito.

13:14
Any wise man, any sage that possesses the word of Torah in truth, and he sighs over the diminished honor of Hashem and the Jewish people, people, and he indeed longs and desires and awaits for the reestablishment of Jerusalem and the house of David and wants the redemption and the ingathering of the exiles to happen speedily in our days. Such a person who is genuine and real to happen speedily in our days, hashem Baruch Hu ma shubikir baruach ha-kodesh. Such a person who is genuine and real, hashem says I'm going to place my holy divine spirit on such a person, l'chaim yidag v'yivke ala tori sh'nishtakcha. A person should therefore be concerned and worried for the Torah that he has forgotten or that has been forgotten from the world, and he should be concerned and worried for those whose honor has been taken away, those who are Torah scholars that their honor has been. Be yismar mer almiyot chassidus ve'al Yisrael am Hashem ashehem nidrasim b'regel, that a person should be. Such a person should be worried and concerned at how many of our brethren don't even know what it means to be a Jew. That's something that we, if we really cared about how God felt, imagine.

14:58
Have we shed a tear I'm sure we all did for the mothers of the hostages, the fathers, the brothers, the sisters, the fiancés of the hostages who miss their loved ones so badly. How could we not shed a tear? But those who don't know Hashem's Torah are also hostages. Hashem is crying, saying where are my children? Where are my children? They're hostages to society, to culture, to materialism. They're lost. I'm looking for them. Did you find my children? Did you see them? Bring them home.

15:38
And that's something that we need to feel that pain, and hopefully we will all be returning to Jerusalem with our heads held up high and we will hopefully merit to see it in its delight. Kedachsiv sisu ita misos kol ha-mis'ab le'molel. Rejoice in her joy. All who mourn over her, you mourn over Jerusalem. Then you will merit to rejoice for her. Hashem baruch hu b'rov rachamav Hashem in his abundant mercy. Hashem, god willing, this is a blessing that the author concludes this chapter with that, those who really feel the pain of Hashem's hostages, hashem's lost children. We should all merit to be worthy and to be among those who will see the revelation of the Shekhinah as it is written for eye to eye. Shall they see when Hashem returns to Zion and the glory of Hashem shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of Hashem has spoken and that is the day that all of humanity will be so delighted because they will see that those who hate the Jewish people are going to see.

17:24
What did we do? Why did we vote along with BDS? Why did we vote in the ICC International Criminal Court against the Jewish people? Why did we go against the Israeli soldiers? Why did we go against Israel protecting itself from these animal terrorists? Why did we go against the Jewish people? But the nations of the world are going to see the truth at the end. The nations of the world are going to see Hisham, hashem, nikra, alecho. Because the world are going to see, because the name of Hashem is upon the Jewish people and we should have stood with them and, god willing, it will be our merit to see and be there with the joy of the return of Hashem's glory to Jerusalem. Amen, speedily in our days.

18:15 - 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.