Living With Emunah (Part 329) - Dance Like a Flame

okay good morning good morning BTO welcome back to living with amuna my personal and private support group for myself my personal therapy in front of a live studio audience it's amazing and kind that you come back each week and let me work on myself I'm Series J respons by Dr zavi and B Morgan in memory of Rabbi Dr Brian gabin in memory of Dr Ellen shanzer we remain very indebted and grateful to the Morgans for their generosity this morning sheer is sponsored by Carol wal in memory of her father been Ben Dan alah and there a ma to Rebecca babitz and Le brener on their engagement to Rebecca's parents Kevin and Sh babbits on the 20th wedding anniversary Ma on that Sim should have only many more Sim very happy birthday to Mrs bro it's not her birthday but her son in case you don't know in case you don't you know you don't have to worry because he'll tell everyone it's her son's 50th birthday today so but that's more of a mazov to the mother who birthed on that day the birthday Rabbi bro is much older than I am he's already hit that sixth decade so happy birthday to him and to you okay welcome back to living with amuna we're gonna get into we're GNA finish up the text that we're learning this wonderful safer that we have discovered amuna from the North of Israel from Nar and then we're gonna learn a new chapter I want to share with you some ideas abouta I want to begin with a couple of emails as we always do and they Inspire us okay first an update email we love update emails we love update emails so you remember the story of the person who got an international phone call they didn't think they had international calling on their phone they took it grateful to find out that they did only after they hung up to get a huge bill and only after they got the big Bill to get a call from work that their paycheck was miscalculated and it was essentially the same amount that the bill was and it was a wink and a nod and a hug from Hashem and isn't Hashem amazing well we have an update we have an update I just want up you on my story Rabbi I called to pay my $130 bill from the international call at the time that I called she told me she couldn't do anything that day to do a technical issue she'd call me back in two days the woman calls me and tells me she's giving me a one-time courtesy she completely canceled the charge I didn't to pay anything in the end and all I ended up with was an incredible feeling of a hug from Hashem an extra and an extra $122 in my pocket if that is imp pure proof that Hashem just wants us to keep his will and trust in him I don't know what it is thank you for sharing my story in your class when I listened to the shear today I heard you read my story I couldn't help but get choked up hearing you publicly tell my story how much hasm is part of my life made me feel so humbl to share hm's greatness and make a kidish hasem so amazing keep sharing the emails and the stories I appreciate it I read each and every one even if I can't get to each and every one I read each and every one so please continue to send Gober I really enjoyed listening to the she it helps me deal with day-to-day stresses one such instance I was recently on the subway which is in itself can be a huge dress the train had stopped and was not moving for over 10 minutes and I was going to be late for work well I wasai waiting on the on the train I was listening to your sheer you were talking about how when someone feels stuck they need to check their amuna and felt stuck in that moment hearing your words describe my situation made me realize this was a test usually I'd feel frustrated but instead I felt very connected to Hashem in that moment it was a clear moment of I realized I was not going to make it to work on time if I stayed on the train luckily I was able to work from home that day because I left when I did I was able to warn another person that the train was stuck saved to my predicament thank you for giving me a living with amuna moment on a train in traffic at an airport in a doctor's office anywhere we are in life we're never ever stuck we're never lost where we are where we are meant to be which we're going to get back to in a moment can be complicated Rabbi Goldberg it's a lot of excitement I write this email as I traveled to bokeh in order to attend the shear I will not say well I don't know but I will not say who it is I read the name without permission I look forward to the sheer weekly online they give me I need and truly help me to look for the very for the good every day especially during the painful past year for all of us and while I personally navigate uh challenges and continue to wait to be blessed I try to see hm's hand and everything and through to bring hasm into even the mundane moments it must be working because as an example as we're leaving Epcot last night my eight-year-old son who was hoping to finish our time in the park the special roller coas had a bad pain in his stomach and he couldn't stand up and felt too unwell to ride which is how most people feel right before going on the ride so he caught the next boss back to our hotel missing out on the highlight of the day instead of complaining or being upset he simply said I guess Hashem just didn't want us to ride the roller coaster or see the fireworks up close wow he felt immediately better once again thank you for all you've done continue to may we Merit to see mashia very soon amen absolutely I have I may have shared this many many many many many shum ago but I was reminded of it on uh on Friday night one of my daughters uh reminded a episode when she was a little girl of being in a amusement park and waiting for that roller coaster and she was one of those children who wanted to go on the scariest rides but had enormous anxiety and literally got sick about going on the scariest rides and if you'd suggest to her well you know you don't need to there's no obligation you don't have to nobody's uh watching nobody's taking account you don't get an reward for doing it you're literally getting sick you're anxious your face looks like you don't have to do it no I want to I want to I want to and we're waiting on that line and she's anxious and she's shaking and she's nervous and she's sick to her stomach and she reminded me that I just said to her let's sing a song together and we sang I must have spoken about this when we learned that piece in are taught that if a Jew is feeling stuck or lost or in trouble we have and this is the the great the primary student of the V of the he says a Jew should simply say a there is no one but you there is nothing but you everything that's happening everything traces itself back everything reduces itself to you Hashem you're the source of all existence you're in charge you're in control of all existence and you were involved in everything happening in all existence the brisar r salich was once on a train in Europe concerned that the Nazis were going to catch him and he told the story that he invoked this schoa this practice of the ne and he says that's what he credited with navigating and surviving that very precarious train ride that day so not comparing a roller coaster to a train ride with SS offic on it but that's what I said to my daughter and we sang aod Mado aod Mado and that got her through to get on and of course as soon it was over she said can we go again which I think I did with her one or two more times and then her mother had to do with her because I couldn't take it anymore not you know in no reasons but just my stomach couldn't take it anymore um okay there are a lot more emails but I want to I want to share one more and segue then into our learning together and the other email I want to is is a difficult one dear WR this note with apprehension but with great respect the is our Wednesday even in commitment and has enriched us and strengthened our mun I'm sure it has for many others blah blah blah the phrase you arew you're meant to be plays over and over for me and it does bring an incredible sense of Shalom and shva of peace and of Serenity but this morning when I was saying pleading with for and yeshu for is when I began my bakas for the hostages when I began praying the hostages be released my tears were Unstoppable because all I could think of was your phrase We Are where we're meant to be I know the drill everything is for the good that is the ultimate am inem but how can we as human beings as Jew stand the pain that the hostages and their families are experiencing do you feel the hostages are where they're meant to be I know that this doesn't follow the usual pattern of Yuna emails no it doesn't but if you can help me come to terms with these apparently conflicting ideas I would be more than grateful am is easy to come by when life is good but what would you say to a hostage and what can we say to our hearts and more importantly Hashem with great respect and I read it with total respect not only do I have no problem with this email I'm very grateful for the email because it allows me the opportunity to clarify I think something that is critically important to clarify how could I it's so easy to sit in the comfort of baton it's so easy as we're preparing to celebrate khaka tonight we're setting up our muras and we're wrapping our presence and we're calculating which concerts we're going to go to and we're going to uh fry our latas and it's easy to say I am where I meant to be why because I was stuck on the subway 10 minutes or I waited for my prescription in the pharmacy or I was out a red light and I missed the turn or I would it's easy it's easy than or a roller coaster in it's easy to say you're not stuck you're not lost you're are where you're meant to be would you have the audacity would you have the brazenness to say to a hostage you are where you're meant to be so I want to clarify two things the first is and I'm so grateful so grateful for the opportunity to do this I'm so happy if this email weren't written I wouldn't have thought of I wouldn't have realized to go back and to and to bring it up this attitude in this philosophy is the one that we have to have for ourselves God forbid we don't impose it on anyone else it's not the way that we judge it's not the way that we approach it's not something that we project onto anyone else the doctor doesn't peek his head in the waiting room where you've been sitting for two hours and say yeah I know we're running a little bit behind but you are where you're meant to be too bad too bad the husband doesn't say to his wife I know I told you I left work but I didn't really leave work I know I said I'm on my way home but I'm not exactly on my way home I know you've been waiting 45 minutes dinner is cold everybody's waiting the kids are all your fault but you know what you are I heard a sheer and Goldberg said you are where you're meant to be no this is not something that we project or demand or expect or judge with others by this is an attitude and approach of philosophy for ourselves it has been said similarly you know that you have to pray like it's all up to God and work like it's all up to you and and you know I don't know if it's B I'm going to credit the but I don't think it was him maybe I don't remember which great Reb but they said everything that exists in this world there's a good usage a good application of it so what's the good application of atheism if somebody denies a heretic who doesn't believe God exists the person who denies God's existence so we say that everything is neutral it's power of it's benign and we transform it we Empower it we elevate it we enrich it we give it its status you could be use it for good you could use it for bad so if everything is neutral and we give it a value what's the value of atheism is there any good in heresy in denying God's existence and whoever the sadic that great rebba the r who answered him said yes said yes is a use for heresy for being a heretic for atheism and said yes when you're going through a hard time you have to act that it's all up to Hashem and when your neighbor or your friend is going through a hard time you have to act like there is no Hashem and it's all up to you the application the usage the value of being a heretic is that when it comes to your friend in need and trouble in that moment don't say not my problem believe in God go to the Amun so that every M who knocks on your door every cause that ask for the people who say I can't afford them in NOA I don't have one gift our beautiful Florida network ran a drive and collected gifts and wanted to make sure that every family could give their children gift could you imagine the child who's already wearing the hand me down child who already is not going on vacation this winter break the child who already doesn't get to eat or enjoy or go where their friends go Kana comes and I'm sorry we don't have any gifts to give you the gift that you have is the lights are on over your head you have a roof over your head so Florida network ran a drive as did many other very worthwhile organizations to make sure that everybody would have Kaneka presence you don't tell that kid you don't tell that kid well I go to the Amun you have everything you need that has gives you everything that you need no you go out and whatever presents you buy yourself or your children you match those by giving to others mosc it's one year we had a beautiful program where the gift for children that night was giving them a gift but not for themselves to give to someone else so the sh was set up with different stua kiosks and organizations children were given a certain amount of money come to sh interview evaluate decide where you want to give it that's your Kaneka present is the gift of giving takaka what a Kaneka present the gift of giving St we should have repeated it it's not too late we still have eight nights you never know but what a beautiful gift to teach children the gift of giving so that's the answer when it comes to ourselves allem so even with ourselves we take initiative we go to the doctor and we exercise and we try to go to work and we try to derive an income we try to solve our problems we take initiative we act also like it's up to us but ultimately we surrender that hasem it's up to you but when it comes to the people around us in need we act like there is no Hashem we have to go to the ends of the Earth we have to do what ever we can we have to show up we have to stand up we have to help the people we have to help the people so that's the answer when it comes to the hostages nobody should God forbid say to them they are where they when it comes to ourselves wherever we are and whatever we're going through the philosophy the approach the attitude for ourselves I am where I meant to be when it comes to others you don't belong there I'm going to get you out I'm going to get you out you don't belong with that illness you don't belong lonely you you don't belong waiting for a child you don't belong not having a Kaneka present you don't belong with hand me- down shoes you don't belong being denied a Jewish Education because you can't afford you don't when it comes to everyone else you don't belong there I'm gonna get you out of there when it comes to ourselves I am where I'm meant to be I am where I'm meant to be so it's not a philosophy it's nothing that we project but I will tell you something heroic you can go back and watch it to see that I'm not exaggerating an Iota onsh this past year we had an interview Tish afternoon you talk about a Tish program a Tish theme we called it a living Kina a living elegy of kenos of Tish it was a hostage who was released whose boyfriend unfortunately is still there though he's one of those that Signs of Life video was released a few weeks ago and she shared that when she was taken and saw the picture of her on the back of the bicycle but those monsters those animals and she said the civilians appear the civilians who civilians innocent in quotation marks if you're listening not watching the innocent civilians when she got into Gaza who groped her and grabbed her and who celebrated her capture and she sat first in a in a home and then later in a tunnel when she was first there she was hopeless and helpless she was in a state of despair and despondency but she sat in the other room and she said you could watch this she said I quickly realized if I'm here this is where I meant to be I have a mission while I'm here and she was taken hostage with a younger girl who really was was crumbling was imploding she said I here to help her and she became determined for the rest of the time that she was in captivity to support to uplift to hold up that younger girl and when they were taken into the tunnel she made a joke she said it's fantastic and the girl said fantastic she said yes Gaza is known for the tunnels you don't go to Paris and skip the Eiffel Tower you don't go to New York and skip the Statue of Liberty we're going to see and take a tour of the tunnels and the girl smiled and changed her whole perspective and she said I figured out my mission and my purpose and that's why I was there and the only way I survived D being held hostage in captivity is because I decided I meant to be here I'm here for a purpose I'm here for a mission we could never tell her that but that's what she said on her own that's what she concluded about herself an extraordinary extraordinary way anyone was there that day did I exaggerate Niota just now I did not exaggerate go watch it it is not Rabin hyperbole I didn't exaggerate naota that's what she said so when it comes to all of this amuna we don't tell the person who's in need who knocks on our door hey check out the Amun I'm not giving you anything we don't tell the person who needs a food train because they're they're in the hospital they're in trouble you know what figure it out make your own food something called uberit because I go to the Amun here I have a little faith in hasem that someone's goingon to knock on your door and just drop off food we don't say that when it comes to the people around us we go to the ends of the Earth to get them out of whatever they're stuck in it's only when it comes to ourselves that a Jew says never stuck and I'm never lost I am where I'm meant to be and I'm going to work that doesn't mean that sapir didn't decide to to change her residency to Gaza when she was released she didn't say no I am where I meant to be I'd like to stay of course not God forbid God forbid God forbid we don't say that in a hospital you don't say that in a tunnel in a hostage you don't say that we try to get out where we otherwise feel stuck but as we're making our effort we recognize and we surrender to to Hashem I want to share with you a Kana thought but then get back to amuna in general because I know people don't listen always around the calendar so it's a valuable thought all year round but it relates to khaka how can we go into khaka tonight and not prepare a little bit to think about Kaneka to think about khaka we know the whole story of khaka the miracle of khah the little flask of oil that lasted for eight days where did they discover where did they find that flask so the gamar says buuu they searched and they found in a little crack in the floor in a little crevice in the stone in something on the the ground they didn't give up they searched they looked they looked umu and they found to to where the appears is disturbed by a question he says if Theon entered the temple and destroyed all the holy utensils why' they leave over this little flask what was it still doing there if their goal was to eliminate all of our holy vessels and all the Holy Holy ingredients then why was it left why was it left and if it was left why was it so hard to find what was it still doing there so answer he answers the small flask was embedded in the ground and the didn't see it or touch it the Syrian Greeks our enemies and adversaries who came in and tried to destroy our Holy Temple it was embedded in the ground they didn't see it they didn't notice it okay so how did the Kash notice it how the makes notice it how did our heroes who found it and lit it and therefore we have khaka how'd they find it how' they find it and the answer is they were determined to search and to find when you live with amuna when you live with purpose when you live with your life being a mission then you don't take the easy way out you don't say I gave it a shot looked around didn't see anything you say to yourself Hashem doesn't want his manura to not be lit it can't be the manura is going to sit in the dark CLA will sit in the dark the world will be covered in darkness it can't be there must be a flask of oil and I'm not stopping till I go to the ends of the Earth at least the ends of the mikdash to find it they were determined they were tenacious they were resilient they wouldn't give up bodu they searched and they searched and they searched and they searched they looked and they looked and they looked and they looked and that's why the rabam codifies khaka and he says something unusual the ri Ram myties who usually list the Mitzvah that we have just tells us the Mitzvah the parameters the criteria it doesn't usually assign you know a value an adjective he says this Mitzvah isiv oh it's beautiful and beloved it's a precious Mitzvah what's so precious because it's the result of our amuna of our faith of our tenaciously clinging to our faith to our hope to our optimism to refusing to give up or to give in refusing to submit or Surrender Hashem we are the Hashem has our back he doesn't want us to be in the dark he's going to help us he's going to help us the Greeks didn't see that jar that little flask it was on the ground it was buried so they kept going they kept going they over they overlooked it and they walked right by it but we were we keep looking we keep looking that's the Jewish way that's what it means to live with amuna that's what it means to live with amuna we say in the we add for we say in the Greeks tried to make us forget your Torah and to uproot our rone what's R Drive Raton is Will and drive and desire what's your ratson you come to sh the holiest time of the week the Sun is setting on chabas afternoon the Holiness of the week is Ron why because when did hem create the world what's the first day of the week what's the first day of the week Sunday but in Judaism the day follows the night so when did God create the world what we would call Saturday night what was the moment before before creation when he decided when he expressed his will and desire to create a world was shabas afternoon sh that's why it's the greatest it is an so many people neglect it I don't want to was it's a short chabas I'm still full from lunch who has time I don't feel like singing M how many times can you sing M do you know what you're giving up on that's the that's going to determine the whole next week what you think about what you picture what you want the that you express every week at where we sing three times did and we remind is from the it's aric for it's the time the but it's a time for us to identify and express and affirm our Raton what what's your goal for this week how do you define success this week what's important to you this week what will be different for you this week when do we think about that when we lose ourselves in the song and where do we sit we turn the lights off it's a lights out experience so that nobody's looking nobody feels inhibited all that's a room full ofas there's no gof a room full of souls there's no bodies it's very powerful sh that's exactly what our enemies tried to extinguish it's exactly what they tried to squash they wanted to set us back in the dark so what they want to do they wanted to uproot our R but a Jew has R we have will and we have desire Ron means will and desire what's the root of the word Raton is the same word as rats what's rats to run when you run when you run you get from a point A to point B but you get there faster when you have rotone you get from point A to point B but you get there faster that's why it's the same word rone will and drive is the same as to run because you could walk you could go slowly or you could run and the more rut Zone you have the more will you have drive you have the more determined you are the faster you're going to get to that goal ratson and rat is the same word that's what the Syrian Greeks tried to extinguish they triy to turn the lights out they try to have us have no rone to be dispassionate to be dispassionate but we turn up the passion we light more lights and we're most we don't just light one we add and we add and we add more and more and more and more kanak is the time that we look at those candles and we become lit we become on fire was just having a conversation this shabas last minute Alex CLA is coming for shabas he's gonna dve on Friday night he's gonna have a conversation chabas afternoon if you don't know who Alex CLA you should who's an incredible pop star in England on the way to one of his songs has 100 million views on YouTube and he became a from Jew and now he gave up his career I mean he's singing in the Jewish Community which is an illustrious career but he gave up he's an incredible person he's coming for shabas so I told him it's going to be a lit shabas he said no NOAB it's going to be a on this we don't use the word lit I said in America lit means an exciting and uh pumped up and it's gonna be but so I don't want to say we're gonna have lit I'm trying to learn from him we're gonna have AA it's gonna be we're gonna light up the world there's so much Darkness so starting tonight and for the next eight days when you light those candles sit by them and look at them don't be in such a rush the the donuts will be there and if they're not it's better for you and the lockas will be there and if you run out it's better for you and the drle will be there and your gift is waiting for you don't run away it makes me so sad every kanah mom is so sad we the whole idea is to light them Ina and look at those lights we light them and book out as quck it's like fine are we done yet did we sing an Sal did we sing m Are We Done Yet do we have to sing all of them you know making our way out to the presence to lotas the front sit there there's nowhere to go there was a campaign I don't know if they're running it this year called the moment that for half an hour after lighting the candles turn your phone on airplane mode collect all devices put them in a draw and for half an hour be a family just sitting around the candles K says if you look at the candles it heals whatever problems you have with your eyes now I'm not an opthalmologist a retina specialist I can't tell you glaucoma and macular degeneration and the challenges can't tell you it won't work but I can't tell you it will work what I will tell you is he means spiritually if we've looked at if we've G gazed at the wrong things the wrong images the wrong ideas if we've looked With Envy or jealousy if we've looked with arrogance or Hess then if you sit and look at those candles of the manura we repair the eyes repair the eyes you can't use the candles to learn to count money to read a book what are you lighting a candle that you can't use for because you can use it the whole purpose of the candle is just to look at them look at them what are you supposed to do when you look at them it's just a candle supposed to see yourself in that flame it's dancing it's flickering it's alive you've never seen a flame standing still the flame is the a flame of a candle is liken the tells us to to a to a soul the soul is like the candle first of all no matter which direction you hold the candle how does the flame flicker up the soul of a Jew is always striving up you could turn the Jew upside down in life but the soul is always still stretching up no matter which direction no matter what way you hold the candle the flame is flickering up because a Jew is always flickering up and a candle it's windy where there's no wind no matter where you light that candle that flame is dancing you ever watch a flame this past Mo shabas was a nice beautiful 60 degree night we made a fire pit in our backyard family just sat around they made what they called s'mores marshmallows and Graham cakers it was amazing it was an amazing moment it was maybe a Prelude to kanah because I said to my children and my parents were over my sister is in from Israel I said to everyone there was a fire pit in the middle we're all sitting around we're talking over the greatest time I said if you took this fire pit out and I suggested our activity tonight is let's sit in the backyard in a circle and just spend time together you would all make the craziest face at me and you would dismiss me but when you have that fire and that crackle and you're watching the and I I was mesmerized mesmerized that's the prud to KH be mesmerized by the candles and watch each flame tonight's just one the one theam of each of us watch it dance watch it be lit watch it be alive watch that flame dance and dance up and start dancing wake up with a and like our heroes who unlike our enemies Overlook the little things be so determined that you're gonna find even the little flas that they overlooked because sometimes you just have to work harder sometimes you have to look a little bit more I'll end this part the khaka part with the story Jerry Jones the owner of the Dallas Cowboys I saw the story I tried to find its origin Jerry Jones if you're listening and this isn't true I don't want to know this is the version I heard but if you are listening I'd like to meet with you we have a campus project we're working on Jerry Jones the owner of the the owner of the Dallas Cowboys was the first to build a billion dollar stadium and everybody knows that he's super successful and super wealthy and he owns the Dallas Cowboys but where did it begin how did he get started it got started his wealth began because he purchased 13 abandoned oil wells there were enormous companies that sunk huge money into studying and studying the these oil wells and their research and their science and their evaluation determined that these were the perfect spots to dig they were going to discover oil and when they didn't these enormous companies moved on and they abandoned them and Jones and his partner said to themselves why start from scratch if the big boys did their research and there was thought there was something there it's worth looking and sure enough he struck oil in 12 out of the 13 and when he was asked why did it work for you and not for them how come you struck oil and they abandoned it and walked away his answer was there was oil there I just dug a little bit deeper I dug a little bit deeper so the Kash dug a little bit deeper and they found that little flask of oil and we have to dig a little bit deeper and if you dig a little bit deeper you don't know what you can find you won't can't imagine what we're going to find if we just dig a little bit deeper and we believe that we can find it we should know what we could find okay back to the P I give you a new handout it's a new par of the same saer look into the candles for the next eight night and be determined that your will your rone is to dig a little bit deeper to dig a little bit deeper he writes in order to arrive if anyone else wants s we have up here on both sides in order to arrive at this quality of Faith a person can't sounds counterintuitive right it's going to sound paradoxical you can't believe in Hashem without hashem's help doesn't sound so logical you can't believe in and have a relationship with hem without Divine assistance without hm's help and that's why one of the things that we pray to God for is to believe in God sounds absolutely paradoxical what's the point of praying if you don't believe in him already and if you believe in him and you're praying to him why are you praying to believe in him how does that make any sense you're gonna pray to God to believe in him prayer presupposes belief in him so what does it mean to pray to God to believe in him how does that make any sense how does that mean anything how does that mean anything so the answer is we can't do anything in this world world without hashem's help the same way we've been learning the last couple weeks that it's a wickedness to be filled with regret even if we made a poor choice or bad judgment or did something we wish we could redo that was also all from ashem so if Hashem wants us to live a life in which we see that wink and feel that hug and live knowing that he's here he's going to help us feel close to him and if Hashem wants to hide in the corner or put us in circumstances in which he is shielded from us it's hard to see him it's hard to know him we feel abandoned and all alone then it's going to be hard to take that leap of faith and to really believe so even the relationship with Hashem needs hashem's help to have that relationship so it's one of the things that we D in for that we D for who D for like said in the famous capim Psalms chapter 23 the Lord is my shepherd I shall not we sing it three times at sh if you haven't noticed I'm a shalash Jew I love sh I live for sh changes my whole week if I don't have a proper sh so we sing it three times the tradition is three times at three separate Tunes start slow uplifting slow there's a philosophy to everything so of David the Lord is my shepherd low what doeses lar mean the Lord is my shepherd I'm his flock why does d invoke the image of a shepherd and sheep why is that familiar to David he was a Shepherd we think of him as a king and a warrior and a poet and he emerges to be that but you know how he started out a Shepherd he's not the only one our greatest leaders began their careers as Shepherds I once mentioned that in a pasier and I said you've never heard a Jewish parent say I really really hope my kid becomes a shepherd and I got an email from someone whose son was going into something else but first became a Shepherd wanted the experience of being a Shepherd so you never know you never know why why did our greatest leaders first first need to be Shepherds who are they these greatest Leaders The Seven Shepherds I'll give you a hint they're guests to each and every one of us simultaneously in hour in our Suka the we invite the seven guests into our Suka there's a night for each one of them the seven guests are the Zion R and they're the Seven Shepherds why do they each have to be Shepherds our our Patriarchs goes all the way back our greatest leaders why they have to be Shepherds because a Shepherd in the field with their flock there's at least two things there's many more but at least two things a Shepherd in the field doesn't have an iPad doesn't have a smartphone doesn't have a satellite signal for Elon Musk the Shepherd in the field in Antiquity had nothing but their own thoughts and conversation with Hashem and themselves if you want to take a person and have them be in touch with themselves in conversation with themselves in conversation is bodus with hem put them in a field with no one to talk to no device nothing the Shepherds had to first become comfortable being alone comfortable in conversation with Hashem and with themselves but the other thing of a Shepherd that has a flock a shepherd with a flock has to know how to be selfless how to be giving how to be no the author of kma is a whole piece in fact why was mosh rabenu chosen as our quintessential paradigmatic leader mosh Renu is rabenu he's our teacher in perpetuity forever what was it about mosha that distinguished him was it his Brilliance his Charisma his right fervor his devotion his loving kind what was it about mosha which quality stood out stood out that Hashem says you're my man I don't care about the speech impediment you're my man not only for this time but forever the author of K has an entire essay where he describes it's because Moshe is the Paragon the Paradigm of no to feel not only sympathy but empathy how do we know that because the medra tells a story that Moshe is directing the flock in midan and a little sheepa runs away and he finds that sheep drinking from the stream all the rest of the flock all the rest of the herd are making their way and this little sheep is sitting by the side and moshu realizes the Sheep is tired and the Sheep is thirsty so he gives it to drink and he takes it and he puts it on his shoulders and he carries it back to the rest of the flock to reunite with the herd and a leader who sees not the best of the sheep not the most achiever the over sheving sheep you know what it means to be a leader is to see the one that got lost to see the one that fell behind to see that one that needs a little extra love and nurturing that's leadership and that's why hasm says you're my man see the one that strayed from the path that's off the Der the whole herd that's on the DK good they need love they need direction they need to be fed but they're are heard and they're on the D go find the one that's off the DK that's stayed from the and go show love and go put it on your shoulders and carry that one that's the one that needs your love and that's the one that becomes that's why mosu is chosen so our Seven Shepherds our Seven Shepherds so for it's familiar being a shepherd and sheep it's all familiar to him so he says to says this is aalm from me Hashem you're I'm a Shepherd to the Sheep you're my shepherd and because you're my shepherd l i lack nothing my sheep may be lacking what if I'm lazy what if I don't feed them what if I don't direct them what if I what if I don't nourish them my sheep D says I'm human I'm fallible I could fail but you're Hashem you're Ro you're my shepherd and as my shepherd by definition I'm not lacking anything however says quoting quoting the was ding for something different not Hashem you're my shepherd so I have whatever I need I'm never lacking may I never be lacking knowing you're my shepherd may I never ever be lacking in knowing Hashem that you're my shepherd that was his prayer so what was daving for Amun Hashem I know you exist I love you I know you love me let that knowledge only grow more and more may I never may I never fail because it's easy to fail person's going through a hard time struggling or suffering experiences a devastating loss and it's easy to have a little stumble to be filled with doubt and uncertainty where is he does he exist does he love me so D says and his life was filled filled with troubles trials travails his father-in-law tried to kill him his son rebelled against him and tried to kill him nothing came easy for David he had to earn his way because Shmo never considered or yesai that he was the next one destined to be the king he had to defeat golio Goliath in order to get that role nothing came easy for David and his life was filled with trials and complications in the episode of bacheva he had to be on the running on the hide he was hiding sha his father-in-law tried to kill himom his son rebelled against him own children had sibling there was say for you don't need a soap opera just learn sa for just learn say for and with all that says may I never be lacking and knowing you're my shepherd that everything that happens wherever I am it's where I meant to be I'm never stuck I'm never lost you're the shepherd you're the shepherd this knowledge this belief this way of life that you are my shepherd may I never be lacking May me never fail May me never be corrupted or compromised in this knowledge that Hashem you are my shepherd that hem you are in charge Hashem you are in control you're in control so as you look at the candle tonight for the next eight nights and if you're listening to this because Spotify my sh put it on for you and it's PES or it's Pur or it's rash time it's still relevant still relevant We Are All Souls that's why you light a yite candle and the yker candle the soul is lik into a flame it's relevant all the time look into that fire look into that flame start dancing start no matter which direction you feel like you're being held in life start dancing upward and r don't allow them don't allow them to extinguish run tenaciously with drive and determination to whatever it is including living with hostages come home let the war end let the soldiers be with their families please remain to recite all of saer tillum the more people who stay the more times they can finish all of safer to them together