The Torah is Like a KIPPAH On Our Head: It Goes With Us Everywhere
So last Shabbos, right before Mint of Prayers, I was standing outside of a shoulder and I overheard a kid talking. And he was actually not talking, he was yelling. He was using his outdoor voice, which was okay because he was outside. And he said, Where's the kid? He was yelling, Where's the kid with the gushers? Where's the kid with the gushers? And I just thought it was a funny line. Like it makes sense. Like the kid with the cut the gushers becomes the popular kid because right? He's the one who's holding the gun. So everybody wants to go attack him or be a threat. Everyone's the gushers. It depends if he has enough for everybody. It depends on that, but at least for the one, the first kid who gets to him, like he's gonna be he's gonna be popular at least for a second. Um I was thinking of that as like a mushroom for for Kleiso, the Jewish people. At the end of the day, everyone's quote unquote children of God, or right? Everyone, all humans are humanity, all humanity. But there's there's one people that were the kid with the gushers, the people who have the messikos, the people who have the Torah. That's something that we saw resolved to by Mata and Torah, that we became the kid with the cut the gushers. That's the cool kid on the street, the cool kid in the block, the popular kid in that respect. People who can be an Orla Gai and can live with a certain level of clarity and moral um understanding and a sense of mission and purpose, and people could look up to that and respect that. So that was thought number one. Thought number two is a question as it relates to Svirus Omer. And the question is why do we call it Svirus Omer and not Sviras Halechem? Allow me to explain, right? So the beginning of the of the Sphiris Omer journey, it's a bridge. Sphere's Omer is a bridge. The Svhira bridge, it connects the C Swin Shrine, the Exodus with Matan Torah, the revelation, the harsenai, where we receive the Tirah. So it's a bridge connecting the two. And the beginning of Svira begins with the bringing of the carbon, which we know is is animal food, animal feed. And the mission, the goal, the purpose through the journey is to get ultimately by Shabuis, where we bring the Shtehalachim, which is lachim is bread, it's it's human. Right? So we're going from animalistic to humanistic, and it's in it's incredible. So uh so why why do we call it sphere's aimer? Why is it the counting of the aimer? Maybe it should be spherous halekim, because that's what we're getting to. That's the that's the goal, that's the purpose, that's the mission. That's that's the question. And uh the idea I think we can explain like this. Svira, we've pointed this out before, sphere doesn't only mean to count, but it means like sapir emotion, sapphire motion to ignite, to illuminate, to purify, ziko, sapir viala, right? It's a it's a lush of purification. And the the goal is not to leave the animal behind. That's not the goal. But because spheres eyer is a bridge, the goal is to connect the animal. And so the goal is not to leave the carbon aimer behind and now we become the Shte Alashim. The purpose is to take that Aimer, to take that animalistic, to take that which is part of the Nefishabanis and now channel it towards Kadusha. That's the idea of Safir, right? To purify, to become, to become illuminated, to find the element of Kaddusha even inside of that. Um that's why we call it Svirus Aymer, not Svirus Halechem, because we don't leave that aimer behind. We bring it, uh, we bring it along. If there's a gap in the bridge, it's no longer you can't go on that bridge, right? The bridge is so crucial. The bridge is the first thing that icy, we have to watch out for the bridge. It's the it like that's that's where it's at, and this whole world is is viewed in that context. And Silas Hisham refers to this world as a pruzdur before Alamhaba. This world is given a context as a bridge. I was gonna get to this at the end, but Ya'covavinu, who is considered the Bakhir of the Avos, the choices of the Abu's the Avos, the Avos of the 12 tribes which we're a part of, Ya'qua Vinu was a bridge. Yaqavinu had a dream, a vision of a ladder, which was Mamish this. It was a Gesher, it was a bridge between the two planes, between the lower sphere and the upper, between this world and the next, between Erit and Mishemayim. And what does Rashi tell us in Chemish? I forget which Parsha it was. Rashi tells us, right, Baivasya Yaqv Levado, or he went back for the Pachm Kitan, he went back for the small jugs. But Rashi says something amazing. He says, Usa at smoke gashar. So some interpret Rashi as a Gasher, meaning like a ferryman. So he stood from one side, not omikan, right? He was taking the cattle from this side and veminiakan, and he put it on the other side. He was taking all the cattle, the movable objects. He was a ferryman. But another way to read that, Gasher, is not as Gasher, but Gesher. Gesher means a bridge. Kalolam Kulo, Gesher, T'simer. Assa Atsmu Kagash Kagesher means that Yaakov Vino, on some level, tapped into the essence of what Sviras Umir is all about. It's a bridge, what this world is all about, a prasder. He made himself into that bridge, connecting this world with that, connecting Aretz and Shemayim, Shemayim with Arets, not leaving the Aymir behind, but channeling it and bringing it forward, illuminating it, Sapir, Svirus Aimir, illuminating that aimer, illuminating that element, that animalistic side, the mundane, the mundanity, and finding the Kedusha in that. And that became Yaakovinu's mission. Yaakovinu was the meanta of Tefaris, which is which is a unit, it's not one side, it's in the middle. Right? Tefaras is the multiplicity, colors, the dynamic duo. He was able to find, he was the one who had 12 tribes, 12 people. He was able to find this colorful, this, this, this uh mixture and put them all and say, hey, this can this can be one, this can be all one. The Tiruh was specifically given to the Jewish people in a midbar, hence the name, Bamidbar. That's really the extent of in terms of the parsha that we're gonna get into. The tire was given in Amidbar. And we know that the world was created with four elements. There's fire, which is the most spiritual, and the lower you go, the more physical it gets. After fire, there's ruach, there's wind, then after the ruach, there's water, ma'am, and then the lowest of the low in terms of the four fundamental elements of this planet is Afar, it's Earth. And as it relates to Matantara, Tarasinai, you have the top three that were present very much so. All of them are very much associated with the tira, fire, ash, eichhla, right? The Tara says countless of times about the connection of fire that was given me, Taicha Aish, but even fire itself is comparative is compared to Tyra. Ruach, I mean Ruach is wind is spiritual, Ruchni is spirituality, so very much connected to Tyra. Um, and then Mayam, of course, in Mayam Elataira. But you could almost view it as hey, Ufar, the lowest of the low, the most magusham, the most humris, the most physical, that has no place as it relates to the Torah, which is which is the top three with fire, water, and and and wind. But of course it's not the case. And the greatest proof is Bamidbar. The tire was given in a place that was completely kulo offer, right? It was given in a desert. It's the lowest of the low. There's no life, there's come out no water, there's come out. You could find Komodo dragons, right? You could find little but scorpions or whatever, but it's not sustainable for life. But that's Daika where Ekodoshbaroku says, you know what? That's the greatest proof that the Torah is relevant any place and anywhere. It doesn't matter where, it doesn't matter if a person's in the base madrash or if he's at his nine to five, the Torah is always relevant. That's one of the main ideas of the Torah being given Dabka in a mid-bar in a desert, because it's true the Tara is fire, it's true it's water, it's true it's ruach, but it's also offer, it's relevant always at all times, even in the lowest of all places, even in Death Valley. You get to the hottest of the hot um and the driest of the dry, and the Torah is found there. What's interesting when a Khishbaraku lifted the Harkagigas, like the Gamaran Shabbas tells us, Yatsu Batahti Sahar, they stood at the beneath the mountain. This teaches Shekkoffakhu alayhem as that a Khurish Barakhu overturned like the mountain over our heads, like this big vat, a barrel. The Umar Lamy told us, Im Atemen Kabul Matar Mutov, if you accept the Tara Great, the Imlav, if you don't accept it, shum te givarasem, there will be your burial. I was thinking about this, the the lush of the Gemara, a kappa sounds like kipah, which is all relevant to everyone. Everyone's wearing amaka. Yeah, kappa is kipa. It's like a mound, an overturned thing, right? What's Psha? What is the idea of a kipah? A kipa is a yarmaka, yarri malka, that to always be thinking of God. Wherever we are, it doesn't matter, right? A person wears yamukka even in the bathroom, right? Some people wear it to sleep too, but you don't take off yamukka, right? Even it's too, but usually t fill and we take it off. Yamukka is one of the things that stays with us always. Now, okay, some people have certain heterominant work or whatever. That's not this discussion. But I'm saying in terms of conceptually, um, what the yamukka does, it stays with us. It's a constant reminder that wherever I am, no matter what I'm doing, I'm in the base majorsh, I'm eating, I'm whatever it is, I have a God above me. And the imagery, I think, is very it's very connected with Harsina, which the the Lush and Gumar is Shekafa, that it was like a keepah, it became it was like a yamukkah over our heads. And the idea being perhaps that the Torah is relevant. This this imagery of us standing, Batahti Sahara, the mountain over our heads, it's something that wasn't just at a certain time in history in the year 2448, Sinai, but rather the Torah is something that's a keep on our heads, it's something that's but we're betakta sahar all the time, wherever we might be. And I maybe that could be the shot in the Gemar, where it says Shum Teh Givarashem. The moment a person thinks that, Shum, the moment a person thinks that, no, no, no, over here it's true, I'm under the mountain. But there, when I'm involved in X, Y, or Z, I'm not under the mountain, that's the moment of burial, that's the moment of quote unquote destruction. That's the moment where a person goes downhill. Because when a person differentiates the two and says, no, no, no, some places are under the mountain and some places are not, and you start saying, no, there's this duality, well, that's sh then the Gemar says, Shum. If you if you approach it in that regard, that there's differences, that there's some places where God exists and the Tarah is manifest, and some places where the Torah is not relevant, that's gonna be Khurask, and that's your burial. So long as a person realizes Shakafa, that the the mountain above, the Tarah, is guiding him at all places, at all times, is always relevant. It's like a keep on the head. Every time, everywhere, wherever I might be, that's the mutab. That's that's gonna lead to a life of goodness, to a life, a better quality type of life, a life of meaning, a life of purpose. Um, so maybe that could be an understanding in that in that Gemara. I mentioned this before. Uh, I've heard from the Reshiva of Sharyasha Ribbnaftaliegar. He points out that the Pasak of Na'as of Anishma, when the Jewish people said, We'll do and listen, it's found in Parshish Mishpatamin chapter Chafdalid, verse Zion, which is 24-7. And it's cute, but it's an allusion to the fact that Torah is relevant always, at all times. That Torah isma was this Kabbalah that we're but tack to Sahara to keep on our heads at always. There's no such thing as Shum. Over there, God doesn't exist, or over there the Torah is not relevant. No, no, no. That attitude is Kuvrashe. The Torah at Nasvanishma tchoth dal at Zion is 24-7, all places at all times. The Gemar says about Shivuas. The Gemar says about Shivus and Psachim, after 68, it says, Everybody agrees that by Atsaras, which is Shivuas, you need Lochem. It's in the realm of Lakem, which means for you. So some in Yamuntaifim are in the realm of Kulolashem, where there's you do tyrant fila, and some there's that, then there's this aspect of Lakhem. So there's a machik as Tanam by each by each uh Yamtif. But when it comes to Shavuis, Hakal, everybody agrees, according to the spinning, everybody agrees Shavuus is in the realm of Lchem, it's for you. Why? Yom Shinit Nabutir, my time, because this is the day that Torah is given. Or if Pinkis explains, or Shushim Shin Pinkis explains this, that when it comes to the other holidays, the Tanam argues, Ilchem, Zakula Shem, which one is it? Is Tara its filah dhikr? And maybe fine, you also have to have a su'uda. When it comes to Shavuas, everybody's in agreement that the main thing is lakhem. That, or well, and you think about it, there's no primary mitzvah on Shavuas. There's no there's no Abraminim, there's no manzah. What is the primary mitzvah? And so what's pointed out is that the the primary mitzvah of Shavuas is Lakem. The primary mitzvah of Shivuz is the Su'udas Yamtif. It is the meal. And the Gemara, the Hemshak of that Gemarah says, it's a famous Gemara of Rav Yosef, beyond that Tarat Omar of Yosef said, Avi Legal Tizzi said, prepare for me this big fat calf. Ummar he said, Ela hai Yoma de Kagaram. If not for this day, Kama Yosef a Gabashukha, how much Joe Shmoz would there be in the marketplace? Right? But he's not a Joe Shmo, he's not just a random Yosef, he's a he's Rav Yosef, he's a Namara or a tan or whatever he was. If not for this day of Shavuas. So what's going on? There seems to be a focus of Shavuas on the Yumtif, the on the S'uda, the Suda becomes like the integral aspect. And based on what we're describing, that the bridge between Shavu, between um Itzyas Mitraim and Matantaira and Shavuas, right? It's it's a bridge, it's not it's not the sphere salachim, it's the sphere sa'aimer. It's that we're not leaving the the the we're not leaving the animal-ness behind, we're not leaving that rather we're trying to channel and take and take it with us, connecting to the tire, which was specifically even in a midbar desert, showing that the Torah is relevant always. This is the same idea that the main ikr, the ikhar mitzvah of Shavuis, it's not even the Lima Tirah. That's just a minug that we do to stay up. There's probably more of a minug to stay up even on um Hushana Rabbah, right? Mean with not everybody does it, but in terms of like the minug Shiva, it's a minug to stay up, and a person is encouraged to do so if they can. But the main mitzvah is, according to this Gemar, and according to the way Rapinkis explains it, the main thing is the S'uda. That's the main thing. And based on what we're saying, it makes so much sense because if we're trying to, and the way Rapinkis describes it, that it's not about the learning, inasmuch as it's about recognizing a tafisa's chaim, that it's a new perception of life. The tira is relevant, that learning tira is one element of the taira is engagement, right? Mitzos is one element. There's 613 of them, and it's true. Tyra is, can I get cool? But those are all elements, right? The what the taira itself offers is a mahalachaim, it's a completely different life. It's a life where it's govern, it's it's a guidebook that's guiding every single aspect of a life. It's a life that we're constantly batahdi sahar, that it's a kufa, it's keepah, it's a keep on our heads wherever we might be. It's it changes our entire outlook on life, not just specific nuances or details in that life. It changes the whole picture. The difference he says between somebody who's some retirement and somebody who's not, or between a Jew and a guy, or between a bentayer and someone who doesn't learn Tara, the difference is not, oh, you know, how much did you learn, or how did you do this specific mitzvah or that? No. The difference between those two, these two people, it's astronomical. It's a difference in a complete um perception on reality and how they connect to life. And so therefore, the main part of Shavuus becomes the meal because what it's trying to say is that in some level it's all the same, it's all one. We're all we're meant to show that there's this entire worldview, there's this, instead of creating this duality, we're supposed to put it all together. That's Yaakov Vinu, Titin Ausyakov, Yaakovino in particular, the one who usats makigesh, the one who made himself into a bridge, the one who had the imagery of Asulam, the one who had the 12 Shvatim, the one who's the Mita Tafaris. He's the one in particular that represents Tira. Titin Emis Liakov, Yaakov in particular represents the Tira, because this is the Tara is about connecting and fusing the two worlds, realizing that yes, I could, this world is a prisd, but that's what it is. It's a prisder, it's connection. We're fusing the two together, we're creating this this beautiful entity of one. The regener points out that that when the Pasak says, Vahi Arava y Baker Yom Akad, right? In the beginning of Baratius, there was evening and there was morning one day. He points out, Mamstas Nakuda, that erev represents, right? Arev is like erbuvya mixture, it represents darkness, it represents confusion, it represents gallas, it represents all the negative, right? That's that's erv. Bhika represents clarity, represents sphira, right? Represents um kadusha or, right? But the idea, the ultimate, is to get to a point of Yai Machad, where it's all the same, it's all one. Where a person could get to a point where even the experience of the khoshech, the experience of the darkness, is connected and it's channeled and it's influenced with the light, where you're machnista or into the khoshek, and where Vahir Vahibaker, where all of it becomes one. The whole point of Matan Tara is to get to a point where it's all kulu khar, it's all one. That yeah, it can be a yangtif that's lachem, it's it's completely lachem, and that becomes the primary mitzvah, not through another mitzvah, not through uh another medium, not even through the learning of the Torah, but we become connected through the meal because it's dafka through the food. The food is like the most basic human physical need that makes us human beings. And therefore, therefore, right? The fact that we need to eat, it makes us not angels. We need we need to nourish ourselves, nourish our physical bodies. So we we focus on that and says, yeah, I am a human being, but I'm an amazing human being. I'm a human being that's capable of achieving greatness. It's not seer salak and severe salimar. It's connecting and channeling that aspect of that animalistic aspect and trying to uplift it. It's interesting, Rushampingus points this out as well, that when Kurdish Baruch offered the tire, which he did to the other nations, right? So they asked, Well, what it what's written in it? So you would have thought, maybe Hashem would have said some of the great, like interesting mitzvahs that nobody would have thought of. Like, how about tefilim? Hey, there's tefilm, it's a great thing, you wear it in an arm, and then you connect it, binding, this, that. Okay, mezuzah scroll, it's like it's almost like it's like a kamiya, right? But like it's on your wall and it represents so much. How about Sitzis? The four strings represent. But he didn't say that. He said, or at least to and to different nations said different things, but at least to that first nation, he said it says don't kill. Well, what was what was the why why didn't he say like the spiritual aspect of what's in the Torah? Don't kill. That's pretty like standard. That's pretty. So what's Pshat? So Pinkis explains that when Akhushbrahu told that nation, don't kill, is because that nation, they were all about murder. They were all about killing. And he was trying to, Hashem was trying to show them that the Tarah is not about spiritual mitzvos, inasmuch as it is about a tfisa sakhaim, it's about a mahalakh of life. It's your life will change. So if you're not willing to, if you're still willing to kill people after you get the tairah, well, that then you got the whole thing wrong. It's true, there's gonna be unbelievable mitzvos sit to fill in the binding, it's the tfil, the commit the the the sits, it's gonna be amazing. There's so many spiritual things, but it's more than those specific spiritual things. It's it's about taking all of the your whole life and and and chartering it and channeling it towards a higher purpose. That's the that's the greatness of of the day. And this is an amazing, uh it's a short, amazing story that I heard from uh Ravsteinman. I didn't hear it from Ravsheim. I said I just woke up. So the somebody, one of the of Rahim, I guess in the yeshiva where he was, so he came to Ravaran Leefstein and he asked him, What how can I prepare for Shavuis? So the godladar looked at him and with uh says a kal with a small smile, he said, Mahashaila, what's your question? Yardim L Khanot the Kaininim Uga Gvina, go to the store and buy cheesecake. That's what he said. That's what he said. So I couldn't tell from the way the story was written. What did you say? Yeah. So I couldn't tell from the way the story was written if Ron Lee was saying it as a joke. So apparently the Avrech asked him further, yeah, but really, like what's my idea? And Ravaran Leib he explained to him that during great times such as during meaning during big moments, like great Jewish times, such as Shavuas, Yeshna Cyrus, there's a capability of awakening. Mama Shma'us Shalas Ares, what's the meaning? What is that awakening? What does that look like? Shibosa Yom Chag on that holiday, afshir lahabit alha'ilumbatamiti. At those times, we're able to recognize, to see what's really important in the world. We're able to have a true perspective to what's real, what's important, and what's trivial. What's the ikar, what's the toughle? Mashal Shamilam, what is the Shem asking for us? What does he want from us? Vyashna Fsharis Lahachtir. Sorry, I'm not crying, I just need to think about the sneeze. You know you have a sneeze and that doesn't come. Having a sneeze that doesn't come is one of the worst feelings in the world. Okay. It's not as worse as something I used yesterday. This is worse than the sneeze that doesn't come. I bit into a pickle which had a consistency of a Banana. And it tasted a hundred percent fine, but it had it had the consistency of banana. And I was still grossed out from that because although it tasted right, it didn't feel right. Okay. Um, I wasn't, I didn't mean I didn't mean to share with you that that gr gross sorry, but what I'm bringing out from this story with Regardling Steiman, he said the point is to get to this point where we can now take that inspiration, Nami Limachulin, Shacharkach, and now bring it into the mundane moments afterwards. And really, when he answered this Avrich, when he said, Go to this, you know how you could prepare for Shavuas, go to the store and buy cheesecake. As Mamish, what we're saying is that a yid is able to, because especially shavuas, which the main mitzvah is, the mitzvah of the day is the Uda. It's connecting to that Shtealachin, it's connecting to that Svirus Aimer. Now, how can you purify that? How can you illuminate that Gashmias? Yeah, you can go to a store and buy cheesecake, and that can be an that can be a holy experience. It can be part of this great, this great um experience that we call life, and you could get tremendously close to Akharishbaru by doing so. It's a it's an it's an incredible, incredible story. And I just want to leave leave you off with this. The the Mishnah in Pirky Abos tells us, some have it in Mishnah chapter three, verse uh Mishnah seven, some Mishnah nine. Either way, the Mishnah says like this. It says, and this is this is unbelievable, and this really sums up all of Judaism, I think. It says, Hamaalchlidarh, somebody who's walking on the road and learning. He's engaged in Torah study. Umafsik mi Mishnah so he stops learning and he looks at the tree. Look how beautiful. Yoimer, man, look how beautiful this tree is. Well, how beautiful is this plowed field? I've never really seen such a beautiful plowed field, but right, the there's probably deeper reasons why the Mishnah chose those two things. But either way, the good the the the Mishnah says something scary. It says, Maila Lava Kasum Kilumskai Banavsho. He he's like he's like worthy of badness. He's held accountable. What was the big deal? He's a pre- he's looking at the uh he stops learning to say beautiful tree. Very nice. Counting the rings, he wants to know how old the tree is. A beautiful plaid tree. Fine, looks geshmaku, as sunflower garden. Says this is a savor called Asif, written by Reb Mordechai Breuer, who is uh a child, not a child, but a grandchild, I think, of Rev Hersh. He's coming from Tyrav Rev Hersh, and he says that you have to read it like this. Somebody who sees that the natural world is out of the purview of God, that it's something beyond, that it's not connected to the world of Tyra, to the world of spirituality, to the world that Hashem made. Some of you views it as different things. Then you've just you've made a separation between the two. Kedailis Bal, right? He says, Hareu kimisha kaifer ba ahtus kalolam. That person is denying the oneness of this world. There's a certain oneness of this world where Kharush Barakhu didn't just create the spiritual, he created the physical. The spiritual is a creation, just like the spiritual, and the two are meant to be joined as one. That's Yaakov Avinu, the Teferas, that's the Ahtus, that's the Asasma Kagash, made itself a bridge. He took the cattle and the movables and from one side and put it out on the other. He made himself into that bridge. Ahtasus, says Ribroya, this Ahtis, this unity, Hamakifa is a Mishnah, it turns the Mishnah, it turns the learning of the Mishnahis, and it turns that tree into a shtick learning tire as well. You're not really stopping, you're never stopping. If a person has the right frame of mind, then he's not really maftick. The Mishnah is saying a person's only chaiv if he is mafsik, meaning he says there's a separation, there's two different worlds. But if a person realizes that Mr. Sharam says that this world is a pruzdur, it's just a connection, it's just a bridge. He connects to the notion of sphere somewhere always. That I'm living in a bridge, he connects to Yak Vinu, Al Satsuki Yesha, making myself in that bridge, then that person, he's never really stopping from his learning. He's never really, and your person can stop and say, Ma ilonzu, because itaka is part of the oneness, it's part of it's part of the beauty. I'll just end off with even though I just said I was ending off. Rabbi Nachman said, any place where I'm going, any place that I walk, I'm going to Artisra. And so if you look in Chaimaran 156, okay, maybe it means it's specifically, he said, I'm going to Artisrael, but okay, I need to stop in different places along the way, like Breslav or whatever it is. But it's interesting today, this has become a common song even amongst Israelis. In Israel, singing the song, wherever I'm going, I'm going to Israel. Because it's not just talking geographically. Rab Nachman was talking about a Bahalla Khachaim, that wherever it is that I'm going, I'm going to Artisrael. Assaat Mukagasha, when Yaquinu made himself into a bridge, says in the Imabanusmeikhar of Taythal, he points this out. He says that one foot, make yourself in the bridge, means his feet weren't set in place. He had one foot behind him in chutzlarts, and one foot across the Yardane, which means in Artisra. And this is the Mahalakh of Ayid, that I'm always moving, and I have one foot in the Chutzlars, one foot in Artisra. But wherever I'm going, this is like the sentiment of Rabbi Nachman. I'm trying to put the two together. Wherever I'm going, I'm going to Artisral, that I could be learning and I could see a beautiful tree, and I don't have to be maf sick in between. Because there is no half sakh, it's all it's all one. I'm connecting to the akdas. And that's really the the what we're gonna do in a Mirzham a couple days, accept the Tara. We're not just accepting um this particular mitzvahs which are unbelievable, the ability to learn Tara and put on sutas, but we're accepting so much more than that. We're accepting a mahalchaim, we're accepting this oneness that we're able to connect to and a beautiful type of existence that we're able to live. So besides.
