Technology
Part 1
In this episode, the speaker introduces a new weekly learning opportunity focused on the topic of Emuna, or faith, exploring its significance in daily life and personal struggles. The discussion highl...
Part 1
Technology •
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Interactive Transcript
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Okay, Boca-told, good morning. It's wonderful to see everybody.
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I'm really not sure anybody was going to show up, so it's nice to see such a crowd.
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We're very excited to start this new learning opportunity every week.
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It's a beautiful day out, so maybe moving forward we'll actually do it in the backyard
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as we can enjoy our magnificent winter down here.
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So the idea was to do its follows that on Wednesday mornings to get together
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for a short period of time, this is not like an hour and a half big thing,
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you know, half hour to 45 minutes.
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And to focus on a topic of Emuna.
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And I really struggled with what exactly we should learn
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at the cup of gel on Wednesday mornings with the men after minion,
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although women are certainly about it as well.
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We've been doing sharp and bit's feel over a pinkist.
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It's very inspiring and it focuses on Emuna.
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But I didn't want to do the same thing.
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You can listen to that online, so I was thinking what else to do.
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And I decided at least for now that rather than lock ourselves into one text
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to maybe try to find something else every week.
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It could be on the parcher, maybe it'll be relevant to a holiday
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it's coming up, maybe relevant to World Event that's going on.
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But to find things every week and just to learn a unit each week
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which is separate so you don't have to, if you miss a week,
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you can continue to come.
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So I found this beautiful insight of the Slán Morebó for this week
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on this week's parcher, where he deals with the topic of Emuna.
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I think it's really important to talk about Emuna.
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We've been doing this series on Shavis de Ftenún and now this
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and Shárbitsvíla because we all struggle with it.
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I think one of the challenges in particular in our community
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and I'm using the term our community as loosely the Matarothodox community
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whichever segment of it you identify with,
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but we're very proud of being intellectuals.
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We have philosophical discussions and high level learning
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and we use fancy terms like ontological and axiomatic
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and theology we try to impress one another and we lose the basics
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and the basics for ourselves to get through the day
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and the basics especially for our children in this very, very confusing world
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is Emuna.
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The very basics is what we call Emuna Pshúta,
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the idea that there's a creator of the universe
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that he continues to have providence and dominion over his world
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that he has expectations of us, that he craves a relationship with us,
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that when we embrace him and welcome him into our lives,
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our lives are much richer and much stronger and much more fulfilling.
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And I don't mean to simplify, there are a lot of challenges with Emuna
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because you want to believe in Hashem,
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but people have experienced things in life that make it very difficult to believe in Hashem.
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Leave us with all kinds of questions, Hashem, where were you?
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If you exist and if you love me as you claim to
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and the rabbis teach me to believe about you, then where were you?
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And why are you doing this to me?
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So the goal is not to oversimplify Emuna and to pretend that it's
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such an easy thing, I'll just tell you a quick anecdote in that regard
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I may have mentioned that in the afternoon class, you know, the safer,
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the safer, the Garden of Emuna, which is a valuable safer,
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Shalom Arush translated by Rabbi, there's a rote, it's a valuable book.
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I would never say a negative word about it.
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In fact, one a few summers ago when I was really into this topic,
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you're having an I went to go meet with Rabbi Arush,
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that's a whole story in its own right.
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The book, but understand that the book represents a very hard core philosophy
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extreme philosophy of Brussels when it comes to Emuna.
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So the book starts with this, I'm sure, maybe everyone here has read it,
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some have read it, the book starts with this story about the person
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who was running late for their flight and they missed their flight
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and they're devastated as they get to the airport, they were so eager to get home
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to be with their children and they missed the flight and it's so sad
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until the plane is hijacked or blows up in the air or has a terrible crash landing
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and you see Emuna Hashem as a plan, Hashem takes care of you, there's always a reason.
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So when we met with Arush, I said, it's a lovely story, but that's not Emuna.
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It's easy to have Emuna when you missed your flight and it turned out the flight crashed.
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What about the person who was on standby and wasn't supposed to be on that plane?
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And the only reason they made it on that plane was because you were late.
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What about the wife and children of that person who was on standby
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who died because they made the flight? That's Emuna.
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Emuna is not when everything's going great, that's easy.
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To see Hashem in your life, to reach out to him, to desire him, to long for him,
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to work in a relationship with him when you're in a moment of challenging time, that's Emuna.
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That's really Emuna. So there's a lot to talk about Emuna, but again,
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rather than be kind of scattered and let's take a topic and I have found that this is the way Emuna works for me personally.
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Like the Masilos of Shalm writes in his introduction.
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There are certain things that we all know, there are certain things that are basic or obvious,
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but they bear repeating over and over and over again.
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Because we live in a world of cloud of judgment, and distraction, and temptation,
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and it's just so easy to forget about the most important principles of life.
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There are more of Moshechheim in the Tato of the beginning of the Masilos of Shalm by saying
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something no author of any book has ever written before, because you don't sell a lot of books
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when you say this in the introduction. He says, I'm about to say nothing new.
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Everything in my book, you know, everything in my book has been written before.
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I have nothing new to add. Nobody has ever written that in introduction before.
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And he says, but why am I writing it? Because the bear is repeating.
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And if you plan to read my book once and put it on a bookcase to gather dust,
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don't bother reading it at all. This book will only have value says there are in the house,
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if you read it over and over and over again.
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Because what we're missing, whether it has to do with not eating the chocolate cake
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or working on our anger or Emuna, we're not missing the ideas,
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we're missing the awareness, the mindfulness.
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And so Emuna too takes mindfulness. There's a language of Hashem among ourselves and with our children.
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There's a language of, look how good Hashem is to us. We found that parking spot.
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I look how that worked out. It didn't rain and we were able to do what we wanted to do.
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Oh, did you think Hashem? You know, when I try to remind, when we try to remind our children
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to make a brother before eating, it's not, did you make a brother? It's like this punishment.
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Did you brush your teeth? Did you make a brother? Did you think Hashem?
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You're about to eat his food. Did you think Hashem? You love that candy.
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Did you think Hashem? That delicious candy you're about to eat?
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There is a language of Emuna whose whole goal is to promote and increase the sense of mindfulness.
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That he's in our life, that he is a pivotal central part of our life.
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That we owe everything to him, that we need him and rely on him, that we have to have a sense of gratitude to him.
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Okay, so for this week, let's try to see how far as we get in this piece in the Islamoreb.
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The first thing that he does is he puts his hands on the candy, that's how he passes it away.
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The previous Islamoreb is the Rebbe in Yuschalayin. Islamoreb is well known for his ability to have taken mystical concepts and deep ideas
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and to communicate them in an accessible way that anybody can access them.
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He was brilliant in his Naseel Bishalan which is written not only on the five books of Khomeesh,
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but written on a myriad of different topics is something which is wonderful.
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I used to enjoy going to his Tish in Yuschalayin because when you go to a Khassid,
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it's packed with bleachers and thousands of Khassid and Khassid even believe in this concept which is a little difficult to understand
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if you weren't raised with it, but they're leaving the concept of Shurayin.
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If the Rebbe is at Saddik, if he's a righteous person and he ate from the food,
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the food is now transformed to have some holiness, some residual effect of the Rebbe's holiness.
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So everybody can get access to that food, you're going to have contact with that holiness.
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So you go to other Tish's and there's a lot of, you go in Elw, for example, the Rebbe dips Tsqala in the honey,
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and then a Khassid dips his hand in the honey and the next Khassid grabs on his hand and the opposite finger and his hand.
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So if you're like, you don't have to be OCD to be a little bit, you know.
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But the Islamoreb is the only Tish I ever went to that had plates and forks.
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They took the Rebbe's food, they cut it, you got a little plate, with a little fork and he had some Shurayin from the Rebbe.
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So that's the only Tish I ever ate Shurayin.
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Anyway, so this is the Islamoreb. So he says the following.
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At the end of our parasha, we're introduced to Avram Avino in this week's parasha in Laqlacha.
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Anyone not yet? Anyone?
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We're introduced to Avram Avino.
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And, you mean?
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Avram Avino discovers Hashem, why is it not mentioned in the Torah as its own story?
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We already have the story of many of the tests of Avram, we already take place in our parasha, even before our parasha.
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The episode where he is challenged to abandon his faith and he's thrown into the fiery furnace.
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We have the episode of the war of the four kings and the five kings where Avram rises to the occasion.
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Excuse me in order to rescue his nephew, Loathe.
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And after all of that, God turns to Avram and he says, don't worry, I've got your back.
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So says the Rebbe, the following.
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And quotes the public.
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After all these things, Avram passes the test of Laqlacha.
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He leaves everything he knows and everything he's familiar with.
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And he is the Avram, he's the Ivory.
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He's on the other side of the world as everybody else.
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He's taking the unpopular position on things, why?
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Because he's choosing to stick with God, even while others have abandoned him.
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He survives Laqlacha and he survives the Kifshanaeation, he survives the war, the four kings, the five kings.
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And God comes to Avram in a vision.
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And he says, Altira Avram, don't be afraid.
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Anochim Maginlach, I'm going to be your Magin.
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What's a Magin?
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I'm going to be your shield.
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I'm going to be your protector.
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Skarchha Habema, your word is great.
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That's the possible towards the end of this week's partial.
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What's familiar about that word Magin?
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If you think of Avram and you think of the word Magin,
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which should come to mind immediately?
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The Brahmajmuna Astraya.
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And this is where it's from.
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The Brahmajmuna, Magin Avram, is from this position.
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God says, I will be your shield, I will be your protector, I will have your back.
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And that's what we do every day to tap into that same Brahmajmuna, that same blessing, they God have our back.
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So he quotes the safer, Bear Avram, who is from the previous Slannum Rebbe,
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Dine Avram, Avino, Ayyem, Sair, Ila, Akhulani, Samag, Dolum, Shasta, Ima, Akhulaj, Baraghu, Borghaz, Dime, Uba, Mahmachem, Astudal, Malachem.
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Avram was scared, why?
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When things are going, you know, sometimes the scariest moment is when things are going too well in life.
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When everything seems to be working and you're waiting for the other shoe to drop.
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And you say, everyone in my family is healthy, I have a roof over my head, I have a livelihood,
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my kids are giving me nachas, I have grandchildren, like when am I going to get the bad news?
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I'm just waiting and waiting and waiting, when is the phone call, when is the diagnosis, when is the bad news,
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when is the, it's too good to be true, something's going to happen.
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And sometimes those are the scariest moments you're waiting for the other shoe to drop.
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So that's Avram. Avram has survived these difficult moments and he's waiting for the other, he's very afraid,
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that he's used up all of his merit and that there's no chance of his continuing to get brough her.
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Penyagiloy, they said, Roma Masaleev, Viab el-Ghaz, Vashalom, Zahos, Adaz.
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So Avram is worried and what is he worried about says the Slamorebbi that Avram is going to get arrogant.
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You know, if everything's going your way, God makes you promises, you rise to the occasion and you pass your tests,
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you're gaining influence and prominence and prestige and wealth, at some point that's going to go to your head.
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And Avram's worried, if everything keeps going my way, I'm going to get arrogant.
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And when I get arrogant, who am I going to forget, that's all safe and divine, it's most should tell in them.
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When you go on the land and you work the land and you harvest the land and you get wealthy, don't forget God.
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When you need a terrain and you're desperate for a livelihood, that's when you pray with all your heart.
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When everything's good and you're high and mighty, it's really easy to forget God.
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So Avram's worried he's going to forget God.
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She hid me benaf, she was she in my cottage bar, who owes her low,
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Kokach, Mistamarah, who was there.
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And it's easy to say to yourself, you know what, if I have everything in my life,
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because I'm great.
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I'm wonderful, I'm Mr. Wonderful, Mrs. Wonderful.
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I got everything going for me, I'm doing everything right, and that's why God's giving me everything.
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And that's what Avram is worried about.
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Ullakach, Hilbish, Artsmabiyyir Hashemayim.
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So what does Avram do?
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He cloaks himself with awe and reverence for Hashem.
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Shazooha'i tsalazafasadas.
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What is the antidote to arrogance?
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What is the antidote to forgetting Hashem?
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Mindfulness of Hashem.
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All and reverence of Hashem.
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Seeing Hashem in everything.
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You know, the sun rises very late these days.
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Where at the spirit of the year you wake up at 7 a.m.
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and it's pitch black out, which is very debilitating in some ways.
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But it also provides an opportunity.
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Go watch the sun rise.
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We have the sun rise minion once a month.
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And the genesis of it was, a bunch of years ago, one point I realized,
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we live near the beach on the east coast.
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We have the opportunity to see the sun rise.
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So I woke my kids up really early one morning.
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It was not this time of year.
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And I said, let's go watch the sun rise.
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We sat on the beach and we watched the sun rise.
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I said, no, maybe other people would be interested in this.
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Let's try the sun rise minion and it took off from there.
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But watch the sun rise.
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It's a magnificent thing to see.
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You want awe and reverence.
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You want awareness of Hashem.
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Watch the sun rise.
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Go to the, what's it called, the newborn thing in the hospital.
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Nato unit or even, or go to the nursery.
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You want to see God.
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You want to see miracles before your very eyes.
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You know, read, understand science, understand the world.
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See what's happening.
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The antidote to forgetting Hashem is making the steps,
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taking the steps to be mindful of Hashem.
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Don't read the news as an agnostic.
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Read the news looking to see the hand of Hashem.
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Live life looking to see the hand of Hashem.
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You know, the famous joke I've said it before about the guy who's late for an interview
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and he's Manhattan, he's desperate for a parking spot.
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And he's circling and circling and there's no parking spot, no parking spot, no parking spot.
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He pulls over, he says, God, I'm late to this interview.
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I need this job.
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I'll do anything.
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If you help me find the parking spot, I'll never speak less than horror.
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I'll make it to Minyanah, I'll be perfect.
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I'll do everything.
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And just then, the spot right in front of the building where he has the interview opens up.
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The man looks up and he says, never mind God, I found one.
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Right?
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So that's all of us in life, right?
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It's a great joke, but that's all of us in life.
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I need you, Hashem, I need you, Hashem, I need you, Hashem.
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And when everything works well, then we went to the blind museum in Israel this past summer.
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And I find there was a bin there.
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You were at the blind museum.
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You can't say the brother of Pouquet-Ever in the morning that God, you opened the eyes of the blind the same way.
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When you experience what it means to be blind for an hour, I mean blind, Shaba blind, like pitch, pitch, pitch, pitch black.
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Whatever your picture in black, now, you know, times a million, that black.
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And then you come out and you see and you go, wow, the gift of sight is a miracle.
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And it's not my guile, who says I'm entitled to wake up in the morning and see?
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Who says I'm entitled to wake up in the morning and breathe?
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Who says I'm entitled to wake up in the morning and my feet work and my ears work and my eyes work?
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Who says I'm entitled to wake up in the morning and my bladder works?
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These are gifts. We have a broch, Asha Yata, all of Torah and all of Halah is designed to promote a mindfulness and awareness that God is in your life and that we have blessing.
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So this may sound crude, but you come out of the bathroom and you say, wow, I'm so grateful.
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That went well. I'm so grateful that could happen.
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People who have catheters or people who have colostomies or people who have, you know, GI issues.
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What they would give to be able to have going to the bathroom be an incidental part of their day.
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What they would give, they would give their right arm to have going to the bathroom be a nothing for part of the day that I don't even remember.
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So we, from whom everything is so, please God, simple and straight forward and easy.
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Asha Yata, Asha Yata is not there to make you look weird in front of other people because you're mumbling something you come out of.
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Asha Yata is a broch to say, be mindful. It just went well. It didn't have to.
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And it doesn't always have to. And if you wanted to keep going well, acknowledge it. Say thank you.
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Have a mindfulness of God in our lives.
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So, Abraham is worried that everything is going so well. He's going to forget God.
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And what's the antidote? What does he start to do? He works on his Yura Shaman.
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He tries to have a mindfulness and awe, a reverence for Hashem in his life.
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Shayadeh Shemisura Beliebo, Godel Hayira, by in his heart arousing the sense of greatness, the awe of God, miss Patelas Mimeno Zachosadas.
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Omna Makarishbharahu Omrlo, Bukad says to Abraham, Al-Tira Abram.
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Don't worry. You don't have to have that fear.
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You don't have to embrace fear of me or of me.
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I have another suggestion for you. And you know what it is?
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Anokhi Magayin Lakh.
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I am your shield.
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All the miracles I did for you, Abram, came about as a result of your betachon that you had that I'm going to come through, that I'm your shield.
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But because you live life with that betachon, because you live life with that calm understanding that I have your back, you have incredible reward.
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And what's the great reward? Islamoreba is planning off the puzzle.
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The puzzle ended.
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Normally we translate the word maod is great.
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But maod is also a reference as Islamoreba to the mission in Perkehavos.
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The mission of their says, maod maod have a shfawruh.
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You should be exceedingly humble.
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Doesn't just say maod one time, be humble.
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Maod maod be exceedingly humble.
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The afshis khar khaharbe, even though your reward is great, Abram, meaning I do miracles for you, because you rely on and have faith and depend on me.
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Shakhar Shbarhunosun khaharbe, ainsa maybe li dzachosadas, alem maod, lashifus arruach.
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Don't worry, Abram. You keep relying on me. I'll keep doing the miracles for you. And it won't make you arrogant. It will do the opposite.
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When you see that submitting to God and conceding to God and an awareness and mindfulness of God, and a gratitude to God yields richness and meaning and purpose and fulfillment and miracles in your life, you will become arrogant as a result.
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You become more humbled. You become more humbled by that awareness.
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Shematayodiash, koh khah khahur rak mi khah bitt khun khah, shakhar shbarkhun magainu makhselach, askol anisem shahasisim khamaviyyim rak lashifus arruach.
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The reward as Sham says is, if you stick with me, you won't get arrogant. You'll be more humbled.
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The zone, masha bakhah khus min, the brochah rishon as shashmuna asrayi. And this is the Islam Rebbe is what we're doing.
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When we end the first brochah of the amida, magain burkhatashem magain avraham.
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Blessed are you, Asham, the shield of avraham from our Pazak.
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Shaa'avrah mavinu avar as kol anisionus, let's call them aoros mi tokh bitt khun shakhar shbarkhun magainu, umah khasayod.
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How did avraham find the superhuman strength to overcome what he did? How did he find that capacity?
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He did it because he had faith in Asham. And so when we make that brochah everyday magain avraham, God, you are the shield of avraham.
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Asham was only the shield of avraham, reciprocating for the faith avraham put in Asham.
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So since the Islam Rebbe, what we're really saying in that brochah is, give me that faith in you.
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Help me find the strength to rely and depend on you.
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It's a great book I once read called Survivors Club. I highly recommend it.
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I don't remember the name of the author. Survivors Club. Survivors Club.
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The author, the author goes through a lot of examples of survival.
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Whether it's survivors of cancer and illness, survivors of the Holocaust, survivor of a plane crash, survivors of whatever it is, survivors of different things, and tried to study what predisposes somebody to survive.
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You know, what made this person more likely to overcome illness? What made this person more likely to survive the Holocaust?
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You know, not to assign any blame. What made this person more likely to make it through the plane crash?
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They're fascinating anecdotes in it. It's a very cute book. It's a very interesting book.
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For example, I've heard about both lefties. Lefties have a shorter lifespan than righties.
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Did you know that? Lefties have a shorter lifespan than righties.
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Not because anything genetic. Not because of anything genetic in lefties, but because the world is designed for righties.
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So there's a lot more accidents and incidents and problems lefties.
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That's cute. I'll tell you another cute anecdote. Where is the safest place on Earth to have a heart attack?
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In the hospital.
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The hospital is one of the worst places. You can drop dead in the hallway of the hospital.
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There's no one to see for...
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The hospital is loaded with dogs.
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You know where the safest place in the world to have a heart attack is? Statistically, after studies.
spk_0
I'm not telling you you should go there for this purpose, but it's a casino.
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Casinos have cameras everywhere and they're watching everybody.
spk_0
If you drop in a casino, they'll be on you fast. Anyway, it's a cute book.
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But in addition to being cute, it's based on real research and it is really, really fascinating.
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So you know what he concludes? He's a Jewish guy, the author of the book, and he describes in the beginning of the book.
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What? Benjero.
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So he describes in the beginning of the book that he is not a person of faith.
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That he doesn't know if he believes in God. He's certainly not a person of practice.
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But by the end of the book, he writes, I'm sorry to spoil a little bit, I'll give you the end of the book.
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But the end of the book, he writes, he concludes that you know what predisposes some to survive more than others?
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Faith. Faith gives you the strength to survive.
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Because without faith, you give up, you have despair.
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Without faith, you think there's absolutely no way.
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When I was reading the book, there was an incident of two NFL players who were voting and the boat capsized.
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This was a bunch of years ago. It's got to go back seven, eight years ago.
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Ten tap a bay.
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Yeah.
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And one of them survived in the other drown.
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And they asked the one who survived. He hung on to a piece of wood in the middle of the cold ocean until he was found.
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And they asked him why he survived.
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And he said, every time I wanted to give up and let go, I pictured my children.
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And I thought about God and I just held on another faith.
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If I wait another moment with faith, they're going to come and rescue.
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Every time I was ready to give up, I just said, I just need to get through one more minute and I faith this will all be okay.
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So I don't mean to suggest that, oh, if you have faith, you know, you be cancer.
spk_0
If you have faith, you survive the Holocaust. If you have faith, you walk away from the plane crash.
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It's obviously not that simple.
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But here's a researcher who began by saying he doesn't have faith and concludes that the ingredient that predisposes you towards survival is faith.
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Mugain Avram, we say this brahaha every day and in that brahaha what we're saying is, God, you are Avram's shield.
spk_0
I want you to protect me.
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Whatever challenge I have in life, some they're major and some they're minor.
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But whatever the issue is Hashem, I want you, I need you to protect me.
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And I recognize that you will protect me, you will reciprocate when I rely on you, when I put my faith in you, when I have hope in you, when I mindful of you.
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And that's what the Apostle says.
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God says to Avram, I am your shield.
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Hashem is barachaya magina umif takhau shul Avrama vinau.
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She tadeer hech takbam yukha bami deshabitachan basham is barach.
spk_0
Hashem, Avram always relied on Hashem.
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But with that strength, that got him through everything.
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That got him through everything.
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Now the masya khachma says, masya khachma, I reserve the right to repeat this again, maybe at least she'll show us.
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So forget it by shawas.
spk_0
But the masya khachma says, what's the definition of deweikus?
spk_0
You know we have a mitzvah of deweikus to be dawek to stick to Hashem.
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How do you feel? What does that mean? Stick to God.
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Avram is described as being tummins, as being whole, as sticking to Hashem.
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What does that mean? That's stick to Hashem.
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So the masya khachma, or simkhah, or mere simkhah, says, what's the modern word dewek mean?
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It means glue. Deweikus is sticking to Hashem.
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You know your first day of school, a kid goes to a new school where they know nobody, they know one person.
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And they're really nervous. How I know where to go and how I fit in and what I do when and where do I.
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So the one kid they know says, stick with me and you'll be okay.
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Just stick with me. Follow me, stick with me, and you'll be okay.
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You're going to work the first time, you know one person out, you go to school the first time, you know one person,
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you're nervous what will be how I go and the person says stick with me.
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So Hashem looks at us and he says, stick with me. I want you to stick with me.
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That's deweikus. And that's what Avram did. Just stick with me.
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Whatever you're going through, stick with me and the benefits are unbelievable.
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The calm that you feel is unbelievable.
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You're all worried about the halibut, will they find their seeds, what's going to happen, what if it really tenta, but...
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And the parking has got to worry about... Just stick with Hashem.
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Just you do your best effort and once you do your best effort, everyone has a responsibility to do their best effort.
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Right? You're sick, you can't sit on the couch and say, I'm going to stick with Hashem, I don't need to go to the doctor.
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A living, I don't need to make a living, I'm sticking with Hashem.
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Someone's going to leave a brown paper bag of money at my doorstep.
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That's foolish, that's not Amuna, that's not Bitaqon.
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We have to do our establish, we have to do our effort.
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But once our effort is done, once we've done everything that we can, then anxiety is just...
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It's actually anxiety is a statement of heresy.
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The Chazani shriits an Amuna in Bitaqon.
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The Chazani sh says worrying is denying God's existence.
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Right? He's talking to a Jewish audience here.
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This worrying is denying God's existence.
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Because what are you saying when you worry?
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You're saying, I don't really believe that God's in control, I don't really believe that it's going to work out, I don't really believe that whatever happens will be for the best.
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I'm worried.
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Now we can worry about ourselves, we can worry that we won't produce the way we need to produce.
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We can worry about our success.
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But once we've done everything we can, if you worry about God's side, it's just going to take years off your life.
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It's just going to ruin the present because you're worried about the future.
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You're just giving up the moment, you're giving up your health, you're giving up relationships, you're giving up serenity.
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The greatest gift of the life of Amuna is the serenity it provides, the peacefulness of saying, going to do the best I can.
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Beyond that, it'll be what it'll be, Hashem's in charge.
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Hashem's in charge and it'll be what it'll be.
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And you're overcome with this feeling of peacefulness.
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And it's a lot of different circumstances.
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I mentioned a few weeks ago, in the afternoon class on Amuna.
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When I was studying a few summers ago about Amuna, and I had been driving back from somewhere and I had to stop in a very bad neighborhood on the highway to get gas and get out of the car,
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and there was a chevrolet that didn't look so friendly.
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And I was like for a second, I was really worried.
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I was really worried, you know, it was a bad neighborhood.
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And I was on my way back from a wedding, I was dressed in a suit, I was a good candidate if you wanted to take someone's wallet.
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That would be me.
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So I got out of the car and I was in the bin, I'm feeling the car with gas and a little bit nervous.
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And I noticed that I realized, at the time I was studying Amuna, I was working on that job, I was shooting a drone shot at Amuna, and I said,
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what am I doing? I'm talking about Amuna, I'm preaching Amuna, and here I am worried.
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When I was in I realized, I don't have a choice, I was out of gas, I had to stop here.
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And once I stopped here, I had to wash up.
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It'll be fine, it'll be what it'll be.
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And I can't describe to you the relief, the feeling of calm.
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How good it felt to let go and let God, to say you know what?
spk_0
It'll be what it'll be.
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Hashem is going to Magna Avraham. Hashem was Avraham's shield, and he's going to shield me.
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And whatever happens will be to the best for me.
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So there's so many positive byproducts of living a life at Amuna for your physical health, mental and emotional health, for your relationships, stop nagging, nagging about your worry and anxiety and fear and uncertainty and doubt.
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Who are you alienating with all that worry and anxiety and fear and doubt?
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Because nobody wants to be around negative energy of things that you can't control.
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It just sucks the life out of the room and out of the people in your life.
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So a life of Amuna of saying, I'm going to do the best I can, and beyond that like Avraham, I'm going to rely on Hashem and he will reciprocate.
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And so we have an opportunity three times a day or many times a day of Davan, and I'll have a good discussion for women.
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However many times you davan, you say the Brahma Magna Avraham, what you're saying is Hashem, you are Avraham's shield?
spk_0
Be my shield. You are Avraham's shield because he put his faith in you. I'm putting my faith in you.
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Avraham lived with that mindfulness and that awareness and the resulting serenity, and I want the same thing.
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We have a very special guest, she can nag at Avraham.
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Belussian Magna Avraham, Hashem Midas Habitahun Shahaisal ala.
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Why did Avraham merit? We don't say Yitzchakri Yakov's name.
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We say al-Qay Avrahm, it's al-Yakov, al-Qay Avrahm, it's al-Qay Avrahm, it's al-Yakov.
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But then we only conclude a brother giving the merit to Avraham.
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Magna Avraham, we don't say Magna Yitzchak, Magna Yakov. Why just Avraham?
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So the rep says, because Avraham introduced us to this concept of Bittahum, and Avraham needed it.
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It took an enormous amount of faith, a leap of faith, to break his father's idols, to say, throw me in the fiery furnace,
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and to stand up on soap boxes all over the world and say, you're worshiping pagans, you're fools, you're bound down to idols,
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and the sun, the moon, and the stars, you're morons.
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There's one God, and this is what He needs from us, and you can't see Him, or smell Him, or touch Him or feel Him.
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But trust me, He's there. He was Avraham Avrah, He was on the other side of everything.
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You know what courage that takes? You know how much faith it takes to be true to what you believe and what you think,
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because you're relying on Hashem, you're sticking with Him, and you're trusting He will stick with you.
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And that's why we end the brother, Magna Yain Avraham, we're tapping into that amount of Bittahum and Muna, he showed.
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The Isha Lavar, Shaiqah's Ingen, Habitahum, Bimiyuhad, La Avraham Avino.
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Why is Bittahum connected specifically to Avraham?
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The Hine Mazzino, Bayzan, Yanim, Shaymidah, Avraham Avino.
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We find two qualities that are the whole marks of Avraham.
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Ha'emuna, Shaiyah, Roch, La Chola, Ma'aminam. Avraham was the head of all of those people of Muna.
spk_0
Right? He introduced us to ethical monotheism. Right? That's the fancy philosophical term, monotheism.
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You want to know what the other term is? Amuna. He introduced Amuna to the world.
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Not Amuna in idols, not Amuna in things, but Amuna in Hashem.
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He is the father of Amuna. And the other characteristic of his is kindness and love.
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Khmad-i-Nikra, Avram, Avai.
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We're in Anabitahum, you saw, Domibez, Yanim, Eilu.
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So to live a life of Bittahum is the combination of these two qualities.
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Amuna and Chesed.
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Khmosha-Biyarid, Yisoda, Bittahum, Nikhla, Bidibra, Arishan, Amya, Sarasda, Dibros.
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Anohi Hashem al-Okhya-Kha, Shaymidah, Samaana, Hashem.
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The first of the ten commandments is Anohi Hashem al-Okhya-Kha.
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God introduces Himself to us and He says,
spk_0
Nice to meet you. I am the God, Creator of the eye, and the God that took you out of Egypt.
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Nice to meet you. Anohi Hashem al-Okhya-Kha.
spk_0
Where's the Midsfa in God's introduction?
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Some actually say that that's not a Midsfa.
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There are commentaries who say that that's not the first of the ten commandments.
spk_0
That's not a commandment at all. That's a prerequisite to commandments.
spk_0
I am God. The commandments really begin with the next one.
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But most people understand Anohi Hashem al-Okhya-Kha is the first of the ten commandments.
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And what's the commandment for us to acknowledge and be mindful of Hashem al-Okhya-Kha?
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There is a Creator of the world. We didn't come from nowhere.
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Just like we have biological parents.
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If you trace that back, they had parents, they had parents, they had parents.
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There is a first cause in the universe.
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Shakob is a base-chalokum, including this or two things.
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Anohi Hashem, that I am God, Haimunash Abory is Baraksham of Ubor Yomanig asab-a-osei,
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that God is the Creator of the universe who continues to will creation.
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Vigamsha Anohi al-Okhya-Kha.
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But it doesn't just say, nice to meet you, Anohi Hashem.
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Hi, I want to give you ten Dibros.
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You are my expectations of you.
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And you should follow them because Anohi Hashem.
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I am the God of the universe. There's another word.
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Not only Anohi Hashem, what's the next word? Anohi Hashem, Anohi Hashem.
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Karashbar-hu al-Okhya-Kha.
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Ha'elokim shakhah.
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Shabeng-kha, hubeng-kha, nikru ubonin.
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Whether you recognize me or not, whether you embrace me or not, I am your father.
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I am your God.
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I have a personal intimate relationship with you.
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I didn't just create a world and move on to my next project.
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There are people who believe in a Creator, but they don't believe the Creator has providence in their lives.
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God created the universe.
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There's too much sophistication, too much detail.
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There's too much that I've studied physics and chemistry and biology.
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I believe there's a Creator.
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I believe there's a first cause.
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But I also believe He moved on.
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There was a Creator of my house.
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There was a painter of the painting.
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There was a sculptor of the sculpture.
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There's a person who designed my clothing and made my watch.
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But I don't have a relationship with them.
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They made those things and they moved on.
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And maybe we live in a world where God did the same.
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There are people who believe in God, but don't believe He's involved in their life or that they have a relationship.
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So, Islamoreb says, that's not our belief.
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Anochia shem, God says, I want you to know that not only am I God, I didn't move on.
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Anochia shem, Elo kehra.
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I am God. I created everything and I am involved in your life.
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Kurshbarhu Elo kehra Elo kim shakhra.
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Shabeng kehra ben kehra neh kruban.
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We say, so da bithachon.
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This is the foundation, the essence of bithachon.
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Shihudi samoch, samoch ubatuhach ba'avas Hashem, Elo kehra.
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To live life knowing Hashem loves us.
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We don't talk about it enough.
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For some reason we gave this away.
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We let the Christians take it and put it on their bumper stickers.
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But it's ours. Hashem loves us.
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And you know he loves you because you're sitting here right now.
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You woke up this morning.
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Your legs work, your eyes work, your ears work.
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You have a roof over your head.
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You have food to put in your mouth.
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You have greater technology with the ease of that.
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You live in the generation of the dishwasher and the washing machine.
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You know Hashem loves you.
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Hashem loves you in ways we take for granted every single day.
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But we shouldn't concede that to any other religion.
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That's ours. Hashem loves us.
spk_0
You know what the worst thing in the world is?
spk_0
Showering someone with your love and not feeling it's appreciated.
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Going above and beyond, taking care, being sensitive,
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caring for somebody, loving someone and not having that love reciprocated,
spk_0
it's very painful.
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It could be unfortunately in a marriage.
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It could be in children.
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It could be with a good friend or co-workers.
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It is a miserable, miserable, miserable feeling.
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Loving someone and not feeling the love back.
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Hashem loves us.
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I need a dodee, a dodee, a li.
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But it's a reciprocal love.
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He wants our love. Hashem doesn't have needs and he doesn't feel miserable.
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Of course he's perfect.
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But you know, in our terminology, it's miserable.
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He wants us to love him back.
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So Anokhi Hashem, Okakhe, he introduces himself to us as saying,
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don't think I created the world and moved on.
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I love you.
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I want to be close to you.
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Let's communicate.
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Talk to me.
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I'll talk to you, not verbally, but I'll communicate to you in other ways.
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Tell me what's going on in your life.
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Reach out to me and I'll be there to help.
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But I want the relationship.
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Elokecha, I'm your God.
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But the Keshe has been here.
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He's been here all the way from Shabesh to Ma'am.
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Shalul Yisdana.
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And who Elokecha bechol hamatza vin.
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You know what else is amazing?
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You could alienate your parents.
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And your parents can stop talking to you.
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And your parents can throw you out of the house.
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You can't get rid of God no matter what you do.
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You could be off the derrach.
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You could be on a different derrach.
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You could deny God.
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You could claim you hate God.
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But he's going to stick with you.
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As a loving father who unconditionally loves you.
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He's Elokecha bechol hamatza vin.
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Whatever's going on in your life.
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And with whatever you're feeling or attitude you have,
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he's going to love you.
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Hattokheh, vaadau, shawab, itachum, ashamis, bhach,
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trichhulabes, aktama, asalul.
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So the certainty of living a life of mindfulness and awareness
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and faith and reliance and asham is predicated on these two things.
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Haemuna via Avashabain, Israel, Aviyam, Shabashameim.
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First you have to know God exists.
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And then you have to believe that he loves you.
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That you're worthy of his love.
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And that you deserve his love that you could reach out to him
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that he wants to love you.
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Shemigod al Avashabesha, Shemis, bhach, Shemis, bhach, Shemis, bhach,
spk_0
oevaso mageela, shlameh, ashabitachon, shabotef, asham, shayyani, gossau, mashtat, avurau.
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And Avamavino, Mikoha, hea, Emuna, Shalo.
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Avamavino from the strength of his faith.
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Mikoha, Ava, Shalo.
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Combined with his love, he not only received Hashem's love, but he reciprocated.
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He was a loving person.
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Aqeen, Hise, shlameh, samadrega, aru, oe, ashabitachon.
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So, Bitaachon is the combination of the knowledge of God's existence
spk_0
with loving Hashem back.
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When you love Hashem, when you're in love with Hashem
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because you know Hashem, then you will live a life of serenity and peace.
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You will live a life of Mageen Avraham.
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You'll feel his shield, his loving embrace, his warm hand.
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You'll feel the shade that he is providing for you.
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Two more minutes.
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Then we're going to end on time.
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Yehishlichloss, those by my maran, ashaba, qadashamil al-Mahavits.
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The pair Shasana Siyunas, Nassah Avramavinova, Amadbikulam.
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The missionary, Ava, says that Avram faced ten tests and he was stood them all.
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So, says this Reba, Aina Amida Elatfila.
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What does the missionary mean when it says, Amadbikulam, that Avram withstood,
spk_0
he stood, stood firm, all ten tests.
spk_0
Aina Amida Elatfila.
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How did Avram get through these tests?
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Through prayer.
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Shakol Nisayon, Avar, Lawaih de Khipos aits asu-udama.
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How do you overcome the tests?
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By going to speak to experts, by googling, by taking steroids,
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by Yuma Growth hormone, how did Avram overcome these tests?
spk_0
Kima Yidasha, Bikesh, Mashaem, Yisbara, Khidashlif, Yavav, all love.
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Because he turned to Hashem in prayer and he said,
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with everything else I'm doing, Hashem, I need you for strength.
spk_0
Give me the strength to overcome these tests.
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So, even within the recognition that Hashem was the one providing the tests,
spk_0
he said, Hashem, give me the strength to overcome this test.
spk_0
I'm dealing with a difficult family member.
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I'm dealing with a possibly terrible diagnosis.
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I'm dealing with a challenge with my finances and putting food on my table.
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I'm dealing with whatever it is.
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Part of the effort that needs to be done is to say, Hashem,
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not just heal the illness or make the family member go away,
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Hashem, give me the strength to get through it.
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Give me the strength to endure.
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The Toka for Behira Sabitachhonshi, Totsos Behira Sabin,
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Shahiday Zahigiya Avram Avin, Lashleim Sabitachhonshi,
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Akib Kha Khosman Magin Avram.
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Through that commitment to asking Hashem,
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not just to solve the test, but to give the strength to endure through the test,
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that's the level of Amuna and Bithachhons that earned Avram the place in Shmuna S.R.A.
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that every day we remember him as the paradigm,
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as the father, the archetype of Amuna.
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And we tap into it.
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And here's the beauty. I'll end with this because we can't finish the piece.
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Feel free to take it with you.
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But you know what the incredible thing what we're saying is Magin Avram.
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Here's the good news.
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We are Avram's children.
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We're his progeny.
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So, you know, there's actual studies.
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There's biological studies.
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Most of them done by three-huta,
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that's how Hashem-huta's daughter,
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who's an expert in this area, she's published in it.
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But studies of second-generation Holocaust survivors,
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studying biological, how their parents' survival impacts them genetically.
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Genetically.
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It's an amazing thing, right?
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It's an incredible thing.
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How growing up as a second-generation survivor,
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of a survivor impacts you biologically, genetically.
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These are real science studies.
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So here's the good news.
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The moment you think, I can't do it.
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I don't have the strength to endure.
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I can't get through the test.
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I'm not sure who got exist.
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I struggle to welcome him in my life.
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Here's the good news.
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We are the children of Avram Avino.
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We share his genetics.
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We are his progeny.
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We own not only descent from him genetically,
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we descent from him spiritually.
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And when we say that Brahma,
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again Avram, what we're saying is Hashem.
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The same way Avram had that faith.
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I am his great-great-grandchild.
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Give me that strength.
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Help me get through that test.
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Give me that faith in you to live with the Maghain Avram.
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So that I am worthy of you reciprocating
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by providing that shield and that protection.
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So that is the Siva Shalim's insight on our parsha.
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A little thought on Emuna.
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And that's the plan.
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Everyone's day morning.
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A cup of coffee.
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Don't bother putting that down.
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Put out some food or something like that.
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Save the sweet stuff for the men.
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But everyone's day morning.
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Save the day.
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Everyone's day morning.
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A little coffee, a little injection of boost of Emuna.
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Because coming back for a circle to the way we started,
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that's where it comes down to.
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Like the Masih Lashasham, like Ram Khas said.
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It's all mindfulness.
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I have to say I am the most grateful person in this room for this year.
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Because it gives me the opportunity to remind myself.
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It's all mindfulness.
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If every Wednesday we have a little support group
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where we're trying to live with mindfulness of Hashem.
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Hopefully that will impact the rest of our week.
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It'll probably fade by the next Wednesday.
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And that's why we'll meet again every Wednesday.
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So what we're studying about Emuna is even less important than the fact
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that we're studying Emuna because it will create the mindfulness.
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Have a great day.
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Chalabik tomorrow night.
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Side up.
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Plenty of room left.