Parshas Behaaloscha with Rabbi Don Jarashow

[snorts] [clears throat] >> And it's a pleasure to be back. Tremendous boss. This is my father. Thank you for coming. All the hidden giving that we met before in the past. Nice to see you. Anyone who's new. My name is Don Geronimo and um excited to hopefully share some words of his from the parsha. So last time I came I thought it was interesting. Right before, literally right before I I went to the Rebbe to daven. And um Huh? >> Credit card. >> Wow. A serious fan of here the credit card story. That means a lot. Listen, you remember. >> The scammers never stop. >> I appreciate it. Credit card, very good. So it's interesting that I actually didn't have anything in store, anything interesting that happened. But right right before I came here tonight, a few minutes ago I was at a chasuna atrium. And you always got to have the antennas on. What people are saying, looking around. Drawing his from day-to-day life. So we pull up at the chasuna and of course there's bachrum. And a bunch of bachrum jump in the car. And say "Chaim, Chaim, let's go." Chaim says "Where are we going?" He says "Going to the Rebbe to daven." >> [laughter] >> So I said "Oh, let me let me start listening. It's another Rebbe maiseh." He said "Chaim, let's go. The Rebbe is probably sure he's hopping in the car." He says "Okay, let's go." So either we can just gloss over those things and say "Okay, nice, cute." Or we can draw something, take something from there that it's not a mistake that the Rebbetzin is part of the Jewish But there's someone, something much greater, much more powerful that created the Rebbetzin that enables the Rebbetzin to be part of the Jewish His name is Hakadosh Baruch Hu. And I don't know what to say other than you look at the news these days and it's very sad, eerie, dark place to be. World news is going on in Israel. Unfortunately, there's fallen soldiers coming out every day. What's going on in Eretz Yisrael and Yerushalayim? And especially, there was this big Yes. Baruch And lastly, there was unfortunately a tremendous tragedy that happened here in Monsey. Monah? Something in There was a call query that went around about the bikes recently. Without getting into any details, but it's >> [snorts] >> something that we all have to learn from and see what we can take out of these awful besuros, these awful tragic occurrences. I wasn't sure where to start because there's a there's really a lot to say. >> Low battery. >> Just to clarify, you can hit the low power mode? Thanks. Or close? Either one. >> It says close. >> Close, perfect. Thank you. But um I'm going to start with where I was today. [snorts] So, I was at the Rubinitz, I was at the chasnah, heard that. I'm just going to share an experience cuz I'm just going where the heart takes me right now. So I went to Bnei Menachem Avel with my mother today in Pomona. I came from Monsey, from Lakewood. And my mother said, "Did you hear what happened?" I said, "Yes, heart-wrenching, awful, but And she said, "You know, they live right here." I'm like, "You know, Mom, let's let's just hop in the car and go." And we went and it was awful and heart-wrenching and there's no words to describe the pain of these parents in Avelus. Young, fresh parents, Baruch Hashem with other children, but just buried their child 24 hours before. And the father was sitting there and the mother. And the father opened up after everyone said their, you know, their hamakom yenachemchem es. And he just said, "Listen up. He said, "Of course we're shaken. Of course we have no words and we can't make heads or tails out of this." And he added, "We can't understand why this situation, why the tragedy had to have taken place in such a tragic way." And he said, "I don't understand, my wife doesn't understand." He said, "Why couldn't Hashem be gozer on this 8-year-old girl that she should have gotten sick, been slow, unexpected, but instead it had to be literally from one second to the next. Why did it have to be in such a tragic, drastic way?" And what he said was, "I don't know. I don't have answers. I'm shucken. And anyone who hears about this, who's also shucken, should just take the following message." This is him, this is not me. He said, "Just realize that we don't have the answers. Realize that we're here in a transient world. And we know there's a bigger picture. We know there's the last of Shamayim. We know that somehow or another come on down with a little bit above it. And ultimately we're meant to somehow find the strength, find the silver lining even in the darkest place places in life, and attach ourselves to the to those, and slowly crawl out and become greater, elevated, and do more mitzvahs, and be more be more to Shamayim. >> [snorts] >> I was quite taken aback how it's possible. It's unfathomable that a person in such a situation sitting in fresh with the most horrific gashes right into his everything, emotionally, physically, mentally, him and his wife, how he can utter these words. But we all know that's the truth. We all know that yes, the Rebbe has his voice, but we all know that somehow or another we come back. We all come back running to the Rebbe's desk. And with all of our safekus and all of our problems, all of our uncertainties and challenges, and thousands of excuses and reasons why we can't, and why we're too low and we're too beaten, too bruised and banged up, we all know deep down in our heart that there's one address. And we know that that one address has all the answers and all the light and clarity resides over there. And even when it's so painful and even when we don't have those answers, we go running back to that. You go running back to the melech. What's that to do with this parsha? I wasn't sure cuz I already wrote I already had my I thought I had my shtickel prepared for this. But after I heard this from him, I knew exactly where exactly it manifests. It's quite mind-boggling how Hashem sometimes sometimes orchestrates these things. You have a shtickel and it's about one thing and then this thing happens and it all The beauty of Torah is that everything comes together. Everything really conglomerated. There's never a steer cuz when you're chasing the emes, when you're pursuing the emes, it's never hard to make two things that seem not to have a shaychus to make them drive, to make them shtim. So, I was just telling you about a grieving parent. A new city, parents in New City. And we always come back to the Aibershter. This week talks about baloiskes nerous, beautiful things, the Kodesh Mishkan. Mislaynin and came mislaynin and came have a shaychus to complainers shouldn't be complainers, of course. What's that to do with the mizbei'ach? The opening parsha, the opening perek. Baloiskes nerous amukyan nerous ya'alushu v'saneirus. Opening pasuk. Build the menorah should be mayor, should be a light. And who built who constructed the menorah? Who was it? It was Betzalel. Betzalel ben Uri ben Chur. So, there's an astounding medrash. Medrash tells us that it wasn't so simple that Betzal should have been the one constructing the menorah. What happened? Says the Medrash, Asisa menorah zulta, Hashem said to Moshe Rabbeinu, "Make a Make a menorah zulta." But Moshe said, "I'm going to mix it up with the menorah." Huh? >> He did not know what it was. >> Exactly. He didn't know what it was. He forgot. Hashem gave him instructions. And the Medrash goes to a lengthy back and forth to Moshe Rabbeinu Hakadosh Baruchu. And then at the end, his hil tam of kama pamei pamei, "How would Hakadosh Baruchu Vinishkash Asisa?" Moshe Rabbeinu was bewildered at himself. He didn't understand. He said, "I'm the greatest I didn't say this, but he would say, "I'm the greatest person. I'm the monarch of Klal Yisrael. How many times does the Eibishter have to tell me the same thing over and over? Mix should be banged out. Should be Betzal. All the instructions are very clear. And why why am I having this What's the obstacle here? What's stopping me?" Amalei Hakadosh Baruchu, "Lecha Asisa Betzal." You can't do it? You can't figure it out? Go to Betzal. Va'omer Rabbeinu Betzal miyad asa. And somehow, which needs an explanation, Betzal, snap of a finger, no questions asked. He didn't need a regain clarity. He didn't need a back and forth. Miyad asa, tells us the Medrash. His hil tam of amar The Moshe Rabbeinu again was upset himself. He said, "I can't believe this. I'm trying so hard. I heard the instructions over and over. The actual Reisha Asisa mid'eicha. I met the Shechinah itself. You, Betzal, you never did. How How does it make sense?" And the Medrash says, "Betzal Keil Asisa Omed, Sheharli Hakadosh Baruchu Asisa Lifkoch. Shechav Asisa Mikdash Nigmar Hamenorah." Says the Medrash. The Medrash concludes, that there was a special element, a special thing that Moshe Rabbeinu even he was able to that was the Betzal of Kel, the divine shade which is the name of Betzal Betzal in the shade of Kel of God and through that closeness, through that experience that only Betzal was able to that Moshe Rabbeinu was not he was able to to build the Mishkan. Okay? As I state in he was able to he was able to build the menorah. So, it sounds straightforward. Understand, okay, Moshe Rabbeinu couldn't do it he had his questions he was upset he was frustrated but Betzal had this extra this extra this extra revelation and he was able to go ahead and build the menorah. The guy Rabbi Avraham Mas asks a question he says, "I don't understand." Says the Ma'aseh, it's a beautiful Midrash. Tells us the back and forth between the Holy One Blessed Be He and Betzal and Moshe. But he said at the end of the day Moshe Rabbeinu was like Betzal Moshe Rabbeinu said So, as much as the Midrash is justifying and explaining how it's possible Moshe Rabbeinu did it and Betzal how Betzal did do it Moshe Rabbeinu said, "I I I still struggle." Says the Ma'aseh, "I don't understand." The Ma'aseh like what happened? What was Moshe Rabbeinu missing? What's the shot in this whole back and forth?" >> The three things he didn't didn't know. The menorah >> The menorah Exactly. Right, each one then right. Over there he went to he he was a on the on the covered right that's Torah. Very good. So, this question we have the Midrash we have a question from the and the says it's put down in the safer. Says for 40 years he didn't understand he didn't have a clear understanding of this measure. until he received the answer in a very unexpected way. What happened? Listen to this my sir. Says the Imre Emes He went to Warsaw to visit his son-in-law who went through a surgery. And there was a complication and something really went wrong. And the Imre Emes spoke to the doctor trying to figure out like what's going to be and the doctor felt in a crisis responsibility to explain why it went wrong. He felt you know someone's life in his hands and he didn't uh he didn't come he didn't do as as expected. So the surgeon said, "Let me explain to Imre Emes what's going on and why I couldn't perform peak performance." He started with the story. He said, "Once upon a time there was a king and a princess and they had this beautiful gem. But the stone, this gem had one issue, one flaw with it. It was discolored. And they came to the leading experts in the kingdom and they came to them and they all said that the stain can indeed be removed. Problem is that everyone, all the mesharshim, all the servants no one was willing to perform the task of removing this discoloration from the gem. What happened? With no choice, they found some off-market cutter who was able to scrape off very very carefully precision and they removed the discoloration from the gem. That was the first my sir. That the doctor told the Imre Emes. And then he said, "I want to tell you one more thing, Imre Emes. There's a story with Napoleon whose wife was experiencing tremendous difficulty with childbirth. And the leading midwives in Paris, they all came and tried to see what they can do, but they were all scared because this is Napoleon's wife. And the empress, she said, "You know what? With with no other choice, we're just going to have to go to some peasant midwife." They called her in from the countryside. And miraculously they were able to safely deliver the royal newborn. Said the doctor to the Emes, "The same thing as in your case." He said it was a routine operation, it wasn't a huge deal that I was supposed to do with your son-in-law. And typically, I can perform it with ease. But this time, when I saw who the patient was understanding his lineage, understanding the kedusha, even though he was a guy, and seeing the holy person that he was about to operate on he said, "I became very apprehensive and self-conscious and I couldn't perform the way I normally perform." Zoch the Emes, you want to know what shot in this megish? He said, "After 40 years of not having an answer," he said, "after speaking to this doctor, he said that I understand." He said, "Then I thought of this megish that bothered me, that baffled me for so long." He said, "Of course, Moshe Rabbeinu could have built the menorah. But Moshe Rabbeinu was like come be salk Moshe, there was no one like him. He was the holiest, he was the greatest ever. And because of his profound hakara recognition, realizing the deep significance of the what it represents not just on a physical level, but even on a medical metaphysical level, all the deep inyanim of the menorah, he was partially intimidated. Intimidated by the kedusha, by the magnitude of the task that was placed before him. And because of this fear, because of how much he knew, because of how acutely aware he was of the kedusha of the menorah, that prevented him from doing something he would have otherwise accomplished with ease. But Betzalel says the Imrei Emes on the other hand, he was like the commoner. Not chas v'shalom to compare him, but he was a regular person in comparison to Moshe Rabbeinu. He did not have that same level of depth of understanding of what the menorah was. His view of the task of building a menorah was very one-dimensional. And for that reason, caused him less anxiety, it wasn't as daunting, and he was a better, more suitable candidate to build the menorah even than Moshe Rabbeinu. So this is what the Imrei Emes >> He's saying Moshe Rabbeinu was too holy. He was too >> He knew too much, he understood too much. His recognition of the kedusha, understanding Hashem and this mandate of building the menorah that represented the kedusha of the menorah, all this frightened him just like the king with the gem that the regular that the doctor was so afraid to operate on to cleanse it out because he knew if he would mess up, he would be done. He understood what it meant, majesty. He understood malchut. And just like the baby that wasn't able to be delivered by for the for the for the for the for the princess. Why? Because they were afraid, they knew what it means, malchut, what it means to be a melech, what it means majesty, what it means the next the continuity of the majesty. The doctors couldn't do it and they had to get a regular commoner from the countryside in order to deliver the baby. So says the Imam is that's exactly the same thing. With Moshe ben Moshe ben knew too much, he was too holy and that stood as an obstruction. It was an obstacle that ultimately wasn't can't stop them from being a candidate. They stood the right candidate for building the menorah and that's why it had to be put on to Betzalel. And that's what it means in the midrash. Moshe ben was tama al love. He was bewildered at himself. He was so upset. He was frustrated. He said, "How could it be? I know so much. I appreciate Yiddishkeit so much. I appreciate I I spoke pal pal malachim. I was the manning of causes for all these years. I know everything. I know what they need. I know But tama al love, he was so frustrated because he wanted to do it so badly, but at the same time there was no one who knew better than him what the menorah represented and because of that he couldn't do it and it had to be deferred to Betzalel. >> He said he he knew the consequences of messing it up. >> Exactly. Exactly. >> Did he Moshe ben think that he couldn't perfect it or he was just too filled with anxiety? >> Just like the doctor did not want to operate on the baby of the princess. She knew what it meant. She knew the risk it entailed. She knew that if anything went wrong, what it the the consequences that there's no such thing as rectifying. There's no such thing as changing and going back. That was the same thing with with Moshe beno. >> Which it was too much condition for him. >> Too much condition. >> It's like when like someone had realized something so serious that they can't perform I feel like I'm a sensor so it could push you to perform. >> Beautiful. It >> can push you to perform, but there's all you have to find that right sweet spot. That right sweet spot, the right balance. >> I I'm I'm the opposite of that by the way. It's another reason why the the amount of love us is very daunting and scared of the safer. >> Exactly. Exactly. >> I'm hints on that. >> Good twist though. So both say what is this measure? What is this chafer the MS which I think is a beautiful marvelous shot understanding the measures, what went on, measure of his frustration and why Betzalel ultimately was able to pull through and build the menorah. What does that do with us? I think the answer is very simple. The answer is that sometimes when we know too much sometimes when we possess too much clarity sometimes when we seek we want to know the answers to everything and we can't live with the questions, we can't live with the safekus sometimes that's the biggest obstacle. And what we learn from Moshe Rabbeinu and Betzalel the middah that Betzalel possessed that I believe we have to learn from everything in the Torah. We have to learn how we are mishta'eh to the mizbeach, how we mishta'eh to the menorah, how we can find the middah of Moshe Rabbeinu, but most importantly in this week's parsha, where are the where do we tap into where we taking the middah of Betzalel and plugging it, inculcating into our lives? And what Betzalel is teaching us, what we're learning from this midrash is that sometimes less is more. Sometimes not understanding, sometimes not having the deepest appreciation for something sometimes not knowing the da'as Elokim Elyon which we'll never know, but sometimes we strive, we want to have answers for everything that will be our greatest opponent, our greatest obstacle that will stop us in our avodah. >> Just trust HaShem ki tov. >> HaShem ki tov. And I think going back to there's so much going on in the world and there's so many speakers and there's so many people wondering that have questions. But the answer is sometimes we have to remind ourselves Bitzal, we have to look at the menorah the menorah the menorah was what was it? Your ear will shiver and errors. We have to look at the beautiful illuminating lights of the menorah not just be illuminated and affected and be moved by the illumination of the lights but the actual building of the of the of the menorah. How it was set in motion, how it was constructed and it was this whole back conversation this whole with Moshe Beinu and Bitzal and we realize that Bitzal was only because of him that he settled for less that he was okay that he was a little bit restricted that he didn't have access to everything and that's what gave him the ability to build the menorah and to help us keep on shining and remember we're always to come back to. I saw this unbelievable line that I think is really just so important. How it ties right into this. It's a line from Werner Heisenberg. Have you heard of him? Unbelievable. One of the >> Heisenberg principle. >> Heisenberg principle. I don't know if this is it but Werner Heisenberg says like this. He says the first gulp from the glass of natural sciences will turn you into an atheist. But at the bottom of the glass God is waiting for you. That means I'll say it again. The first gulp from the glass of natural sciences will turn you into an atheist but at the bottom of the glass God is waiting for you. What does that mean? You like it? >> It's all God in the end in a sense. >> That when a person first begins studying science many things that were mysterious become explainable. He understands how to make an atom bomb, he understands how to blow up the world, he understands revolution, he understands how everything happened. But then what happens unfortunately is that when a person goes deeper into the science they encounter increasingly fundamental questions. Why do the laws of nature exist? Why is the universe ordered in a way that can be understood? Why do mathematics describe reality so effectively? What Why? Why? Why everything why? There's no answers. Why is there something rather than nothing? When you get to the bottom of the glass we realize that God is waiting at the bottom. And no matter what life throws us, when sometimes we want to understand everything, we want to understand all the scientific gases, we want to understand how everything works. Yeah, sometimes it can be comforting. We have an office, but sometimes too much. We're just going to bump into walls with no answers and realize there's only a shot. >> Another reason why I said don't eat from the of us. >> Exactly. Exactly. Another reason. I bumped into a guy this week. And I think this really encapsulates it all and it's a person that is just saying it, not just thinking it, but he's actually wearing it on his shirt. Guy in Lakewood walked into his office this week, had a talk with him. And I see on his shirt says error. And I'm wondering like why what's up with the shirt? Why are you saying error? Like it's a very off-putting thing like when you encounter people there's an error like did I make a mistake by looking at you? >> [laughter] >> It was a t-shirt that said error and I'm like is this your brand? He's like listen. He said this isn't my only shirt. He said custom make all my shirts says error over here, error on the back. Everything is one big error. And he said what's the shot? He said cuz I always want myself I always want to be reminded and I always want people to be reminded that the second you start thinking the second you start making calculations, the second you start seeking all the clarity and all the answers, it's one big error. Be happy with what you understand. It's hard. It's difficult. And life can be very challenging at times. But the second you start thinking too much, it's an error. Stop. Think about the universe. Think that we don't have all the answers. Think that the soul, the only reason he married and making the menorah was only because he was limited. And sometimes limitations are the key to success. I had another unbelievable line. >> The atom. >> Uh-huh? >> The atom. >> The atom. Be happy. Something simple. Understanding. Inner peace. I met a guy today who was quite had every reason to give up on life. Every reason to be sad. Every reason to be depressed. And by the way, this wasn't the guy who was sitting shiva. Not It's not a funny thing, but I came out and there was this other guy who I don't want to go through all the sadness. I was just being a listening ear. He was an old friend I hadn't seen in a long time. And I'm like, "Ah, how you how you doing?" And he says, "I'm doing great." with a big smile. I said, "Wow, I'm so happy to hear that." Like, you know, "What do you do?" Like, "I do nothing." I'm like, "Ah, what what do you do?" Like, Like, "I'm being 100% honest with you. I do nothing." I said, "You used to have like a restaurant." He's like, "I used to have a bunch of restaurants. I used to do a lot of things and now I do nothing." I said, "Does your wife work?" Like, "My wife does nothing." So I said, "Can you explain?" So I'll tell you. He said, "I tried everything. Everything failed. So the only thing I have left is the holy blessed one. And now I have everything." He said his baby he's taking his 9-month-old baby tomorrow. Today is Thursday, Friday morning. You know what he's doing with his baby? To be tested for cancer. >> Absolutely. >> And this is a person who's telling me has everything. And he said it when he got the call from the doctor that they're afraid that his 9-month-old baby, who has terrible, terrible genetic diseases, and they called him and said, "We think your baby has cancer." You know what he said? You know what his reaction was? He laughed. He couldn't stop laughing. Cuz he knew that nothing It's all the Hashem. And nothing can affect him. And this is a regular guy. I promise you, regular guy who right out of the street. With a real story. With a real package. And real bitachon. >> Wow. >> There's a quote that goes as follows, just to wrap it up, that I think will really capture everything. Something we should never forget. The quote goes as follows. >> Clock's broken. I just wanted to let you know. >> Okay, we're done. >> I know it's broken. >> Yeah, that is >> Oh, it's working. Looks like it's fine. >> Where's mine? I can't >> Oh, where's mine? Uh-oh. >> No, it's my >> I also can have a lot of >> [laughter] >> Let me tell you this. This is unbelievable gidank. Okay? Close your eyes for a second and put your mind Think about for a moment really tough day. Parnassah's not great. Didn't close the right deal. Someone ticked you off. Someone ignored you. Something happened with shalom bayis, your kid, a doctor. Rough. Rough day. Says the quote. During those times, close your eyes and recognize that there are thousands of people that pray every single day to be going through and have the exact package that you have and that you're going through. Let that sink in. Just when you think you can't handle anymore, close your eyes, as Michael Safdie talks about all the time, more aidah, more thanks. The second you think it's not working, the second you think you're broken, Shabbat tries this all day. You're all bruised and banged up is signature words. Stop complaining, start looking at the aim mister without all the answers, without asking why, who, where, when, and just real look at everything. Look at your fingers, look at your eyes, look at your feet, look at where you are. If you have children, if you have a wife, all the tov, and realize that Hashem can flip anything around. That there's no shortage. I was talking to another guy the other day. Yesterday, I said, "How are you? What's going on?" He said, "Baruch Hashem." I said, "Can I talk to you about business for a second?" He says, "Yeah." He says, "I just want to, you know, he says, "if you know how I can get $25 million, that would be a huge help." I said, "I wasn't happy to talk." I said, "Okay. So, can I just ask you how are you?" He wasn't kidding. I'll say this and I'm going to share it with him and he can verify it. The guy lives in Monsey. And just the bitachon of some people, you know, we all go through these things, but it's just inspiring and we always need to be reminded that they're regular people that go through the same things. And I just said, "Listen, you'll be in the $25 million is not a big deal. It's not worth your pinky. It's not worth your eye. It's not worth neshama. Not worth one breath. And Hashem is sustaining you and giving you all the good, your wife and your kids, and everything until now as he always talks about all the time. Yeah, $25 million sounds like a lot, but Hakadosh Baruch Hu is ein sof. And when [snorts] we realize and we believe the ein sof, we realize that Hashem is not capped, that will be able >> It becomes a reality. >> It becomes a reality and we'll be able not just to accept, but to embrace the fact that whatever it is that we're going through, we don't have the answers, that whatever we're going through, yes, it's a challenge, but Kadosh Baruch Hu is holding me. He's got me. He's my biggest fan. He's rooting for me. He wants my best. Like an only child as the Frisch and Big is always talks about, like an only child, Ben Yachid Batya Chod. We keep this all in mind, especially as we hear what's going on in this crazy world, sad world. I'm here trying to do our best and learn later on a Thursday night and be mechazek ourselves and come back to our wives and kids and pump them with chizuk. We remember. We come back to the timeless wisdom of the Torah. Just read these words again. Bo Omna Bezalel also his time of Omna and he come up on the Kodesh Baruch Hu. Moshe Rabbenu had the same question. He said, "I know everything. I don't understand why I can't make the menorah. When it's kashe also, I don't understand what's hard for me to do it if I'm the greatest person and I know everything. The Asher Yisrael and the Bezalel, you Bezalel, you don't know nearly as much as me. But Bezalel Keli Yisrael Kisha Kodesh Baruch Hu Assisa. You were on a lower level, not pal pal, but you were Bezalel Keli. And because of that limitation, that was the impetus. That was how you were zocheh to conquer, to achieve and to build the menorah. And for us, we're all here to build menorahs for ourselves, for our wives, our children, our families. We're all on a mission. We all are able to be mishtaig to the midah of Bezalel. And when we do so and say, "Ebeshter, I know you're everything. I know you're the Kolyachol. I know you can turn anything around. And I know I'm not going to have all the answers and I know it's shver." And think you about that child Navach Pomona and a father who able to say two hours after two days after whoever shook him just take it and run and do something better do something more be my to my own that's Bitzal that's saying I don't understand but I'm okay that's saying I'm limited but I'm still going for strength I'm not going to crumble may these words be easy it's easy for me and it should be a the host for this young girl whose name is Shana Boss I'm you who don't lay me in the shower be in the day shift for all of us may she have an idea and may we ultimately be before we go into her dish Thomas which is she always make dish we should only is of being a base of make dish we shouldn't think about the three weeks we shouldn't have none of that she should be the soon cuz we can't handle it anymore and even though we're there we know that she's going to take care of us Joe dance together with the arrival of she said came and will be in the main >> Yeah