Bereishis - The Beauty of the Light

2:14 And God said, "There is going to be wicked people in the world. I don't want the wicked people in the world." To use this very spiritual light, I'm separating this light and putting it for the righteous people in the world to come. So far so good? I'm assuming this is not a question. Right back at you. So it's obvious now. According to Rashi, God looks at the light, and what does He see? He doesn't see light. What does He see? He sees something very spiritual. He doesn't want the wicked people to have access to the spiritual light. So what does he say? I'm separating this light. In the future, the righteous people will enjoy this light, but I don't want the rishonim to have this light. Now I don't know what that means, but I at least know the answer to the question of what God looked at and said was good. God looked at the light and said, 'This light is deeply spiritual. It's good. It needs to be separated.' However, Rashi continues, and Rashi says, and this is really going to be the focus for tonight. Rashi says Ula fi bshuto.

3:15 We just gave the more complex explanation, the more perhaps metaphysical, kabbalistic explanation. But Rashi says we have to give the simple explanation. So Rashi says the simplest explanation is as follows: "Kach per sho." This is how it's explained. "Ra'u kitov." He saw that the light was good. "Ve'ein na'e lo velachoshech." Sheu mishtamshem bo beruvvya. So God said, 'The light is good, and it is unseemly that the light and the darkness should exist together.' The kavil is et chumah b'yom, the zet chumah b'alayla, and therefore God made day and He made night. The light shines in the day and not at night. That's when it's dark. Right? So the simple explanation, listen carefully, girls. Let's see if we can get this. The simple explanation is that when God originally created the world. Light and dark existed together. And then what did God do? He looked at the light and saw that it was good.

4:13 So he separated them and said, "Let's make the light for the daytime and the darkness for the nighttime." So far, so good. I have a lot of questions on this. Would you? Does anyone want to ask a question first? Does anyone want to guess some of the questions Or you want me just to say, "Yeah. How can light and dark exist in the same? That's the most obvious one. We don't understand the world where if it's light, it's light; if it's dark, it's dark. I don't know what it means. The light in the darkness feels strange to me. I agree with you. That is the first question. Excellent. Anyone have a second and a third question? I've got three here. Should I give another one? If whatever it means that the light and darkness existed together What does it mean that the light was good? Because according to the first explanation, I know what it means. The light was good. It means the light was what we said? Spiritual, very good. But now, according to the second explanation, what was the light? It wasn't spiritual. It was physical. It's regular light.

5:13 So what does that mean? The light was good. Why is that different than any other creation that God says the light is good? I must separate it from the darkness. Second question. And then the last question is: What is this separation? What does it mean that now God makes the light for the day and the darkness for the night? Enjoy. What does it mean that the light was for the day and the darkness was for the night? Those are the three questions. We review them real quickly. Didn't he say that's everything he made? But here's the only situation where the light is good, so now I have to separate it. That's something different. So he creates the light and it's good. So he goes, I have to do something to it. I don't know what it means that they existed together. Number two, I don't know what was good about the light, and I don't understand what's the value of this boundary that the light is the day and the darkness is the night. So far, so good. Excellent. We're all on the same page.

6:23 The Gemara in the D'orim 64b tells us four people are considered like they're dead. Who are the four people? Anybody know? Very good. A poor person. A blind person. Someone who doesn't have children. Very good. Someone with tzaraas, a leper. Where did you go to high school? Beis Yaakov Pesah. Clearly does an excellent job. Familiar with all of Shas. You point to one gemara in the Darm 64b. All of a sudden she goes through all of Shas. She knows the answer. Phenomenal. Four people. Of all of those, which one is the strangest? Blind. Blind one is the strangest. Because I could actually Ani comes first. A poor person. I can understand a poor person doesn't have the ability to give, right? So to live is to give. If you're poor and you can't give That's a form of death. I could understand a leper. There's a disease there. They're separated from the camp. They're mikutz la'machane. I could see that that's type of death. Certainly, someone who can't have children.

7:31 Even Rachli Menu said ve'im ayin mesa anochi. If I can't have children, it's like I'm dead. We can understand that. If you're blind, it's like you're dead. If you're blind, it's like you're blind. So what does this mean? I want to give you something that I heard from Rabbi Yochanan Zwi Yechiel. Should be Zaycher Rofur Shalema. And again I'm going to develop the idea that he gave, but the initial expression of this idea comes from him. So he says as follows: What does light do? Let's think about this for a second. Amel, can I use your water bottle? What does light do? What's the relationship between me and this brittle water bottle because of light? I can see it. So what does that do? Would you say it creates color? It creates color. The color is there actually. Even without the light So what can I do?

8:26 I could see it, and therefore what? Now because this light has color, what can I do to it? Appreciate it. I can appreciate it. That's a pretty good word. We're going to develop that, but you're right on target. So I'm looking at this water bottle, and I see the water bottle, and I see it's got a white top, and it's got a silver bottom. So I can appreciate it. What else can I do to it? Let's say I'm not touching it. What else can I look at it and I can see? It's on the table. So I could see its place. What else can I see? Shadow. I could see a shadow. What else? I could see what it is, what its usage is. I could see its dimension. In other words, what am I doing as I look at anything in the world? What am I doing? Analyzing, acknowledging it. Acknowledging, analyzing. You're all stopping. Benefiting Perceiving. You're all skirting around one idea.

9:11 And I'm going to give you the word. You ready for it? I'm in a relationship with that water bottle now. I know that's by the way. The look on your face is precious because the look on your face right now is saying you're a doofus. I'm not in a relationship with the water bottle because I'm looking at it. But let's think about this a little deeper. Relationship is how you're. Right. Doesn't mean that you're connecting. But it might mean I'm connecting. In fact, I'm gonna I'm gonna tell you something. I think you're gonna agree. It's kind of like you're not connecting. Whatever I'm saying, it's not like you're in a relationship. That's true. You can hate your relationship with your teacher because you hate your teacher. Nice. Thank you so much. Always a pleasure to teach the sharpness. Want to hear something cool? Baruch Ata Ado Yaelin Mochamsha Call me ever. That's pretty cool.

9:58 It's the coolest thing I've ever said. I just need to know how you feel about something. I can't have a feeling about this object unless I know it's there and I perceive it, and therefore I'm in a relationship with it. Here's a weird way of thinking about it. You ever stare at somebody and you don't even realize you're staring at them, and then they turn around and look at you, and what do you immediately do? Why? It's super socially off. Why is looking at someone socially off? Because you're bringing some weird. Why are you staring at me? You're thinking. You're spacing out. And that's what we want to say. We want to get up. We want to turn to that person. By the way, that would be the most hysterical thing if you ever do that. If you're spacing out and someone turns to you and you realize that, just look at them and scream. I'm just spacing out. It's not about you.

10:46 That would be an amazing socially off experiment. I bless you that you do that, and please video it so I could see it. I will die laughing, and that's my second death wish for the night. But do you hear what I'm saying? Because it's very awkward. We know that we weren't actually looking at them. We were just spacing out. What's the implication of me looking at something? It's a connection. There's a relationship when I look at somebody. People who love each other, what do they do? They gaze at each other. There's something super uncomfortable about being looked at when you don't want to be. Why is it super awkward? Just looking. Why is it awkward that somebody's staring at us? I didn't invite you to participate in a relationship with me. You're violating my boundaries right now. Isn't that true? You're not convinced. Yes and no, because it's not boundaries. This one's looking at you.

11:44 It's not. It's but why is it awkward? What are you thinking about? Why are you looking at me? Why am I in your head? Because I don't want it. Because I don't. Because I don't want to be. I don't want to be in your head. And so sight has this incredible power to connect us to things. Does that make sense? The example that Rev Zweig gives, which I love. People who are obsessed with themselves are constantly looking in the mirror. Ooh, that got awkward. Let's do that one more time. Love is in Florida. From Florida. From Florida. That was my former principal, and he used to say something just like that, and I got very like. Makes sense. People who are obsessed with themselves look in the mirror. I have five daughters. So I know this. Please don't take this personally. I'm sure there are plenty of guys that do it also. But did you ever notice that sometimes, not you for sure, but maybe my five daughters do this. And probably all people, but maybe it's just my five daughters. You can make it awkward if you want.

12:50 You ever notice that if you walk by a window and you see a reflection, you stop and look. Why? Why? So what was that? Boys' camps, like sleepaway camps, don't have mirrors. And sheba's. I don't know. It's a little disturbing. I don't know how to respond to that. There's a halacha you're not supposed to look in mirrors, but you're also not supposed to. So again, let's not. That's a fascinating halacha to discuss, and you're actually right about that. In fact, there are stories of big tzaddikim that never looked in mirrors. Why are you coming in his teeth? One second. That's what I'm saying. I don't want to do what we're doing right now. I'm with you. But let's literally take what you're saying right now. The notion that in order for me to connect to a part of me, I need to see it Right? And if I can't see it I don't connect to it. Here's another. You ever see somebody After years, and you thought you'd never see them again. What do you say?

13:44 I never thought I'd see you again. If you lose something, I never thought I would see this again. I can't believe it. You never say. I never thought I would find this again. You say I never thought I would see it again. Isn't that an interesting thing that we do? Because to see something is to have a relationship with it. So many years go by. Yaakov Avinu is separated from his son Yosef, and he finally sees him after many years. What does the pasuk tell us? Now I can die. Why? Because now I have. Seen your face. Why didn't he say, 'Now I can die because I finally got to meet you'? Why does he say, 'Now I can die because I finally got to see you'? Because to see something means to be in a relationship with it. This is where it gets very deep. You with me?

14:40 Yaakov Avinu finds himself by the ladder. The ladder is going up, and the angels are going up and down the ladder. And here's the prophecy that he gets. The Hinei Hashem nitzav alav. The Lord is standing over him. Vayomer ani Hashem, I am the I am God. Elokei Avram Avicha, the God of Abraham, your father. The Elokei Yitzchak, and I'm also the God of Yitzchak. A strange thing, and Rashi highlights it. We never find that in someone's lifetime, God refers to them as the God of that person. We never find. In other words, it's okay to say 'El Ok Avram' because by this point in the story, when the angels are going up and down the ladder, where is Avram? Avraham died. So now God can refer to Avraham as "I am the God of Avraham." But in this story, where was Yitzchak? Remember, the angels are going up and down the ladder. That means what just happened?

15:39 He's running away from what? He's running away from Esav. That means Yitzchak just a second ago was giving the brachos to Yaakov. So Yitzchak is alive and well, and yet here we have a strange anomaly in the pasuk that God refers to Himself in the pasuk as Elokei Yitzchak. What does that mean? God is alive. Why doesn't God refer to people who are alive as He is their God? Rashi says because there's a pasuk. Ha'Ein B'kedoshav Lo Yamin. God says, I don't trust even the righteous. Why? Because what might eventually happen? The righteous might sin. So I don't want to identify my name with them yet because they're not maybe completely righteous. Because what yet they might do? They might still sin. Says Rashi, Yitzchak is the exception because he was blind. That's exactly what Rashi says. He says, "Kan yichet Shemal Yitzchak." Here, Hashem makes an exception, and he identifies his name with Yitzchak. Why?

16:39 Lefisha kahu einav v'kalu b'bayis, because his eyes were dim, meaning he had become blind, and he was homebound. V'harehu kemes v'yetsarhara pasuk mimenu. He was like he was. It's like he was dead, and he had no yetsarhara. I have a question: If you're blind, do you have no yetsarhara? No. I was going to say, blind people could still do that. I think so too. So this Rashi needs to be understood. Excellent question. Where'd you go to high school? We have a high school equivalent. Makes sense to me. What an excellent high school! What a beautiful question. So far, so good. So listen, what R' Zwieback says, because it's brilliant And it's so deep. That's why I love R' Zwieback's tire. If you can't see it If you can't see it. It's not real to you. You're not in a relationship with it. Yitzchak really could not see his body.

17:39 And because he could not see his body, what relationship did he have with his yitzhara? None. And so, for Yitzchak—not your average blind person—for Yitzchak, who now can't see his body, what's his relationship to his body? He's distant from his body. And therefore, what do we call someone who's distant from their body? Dead. Let's go back to that original Gemara in D'orim 64b that you knew so well. What was the thing that we said was a weird one? It's weird for a blind person to be considered dead. Why are they considered dead? Because they're dead. They're walking around. They're fine. The answer is because if you're disconnected from your body, why are you disconnected? Because you can't see it. If you can't see it, what does that mean? Means you're not in a relationship with it. So there's a distance there from your body that's called death.

18:31 And therefore Hashem can say because it's Yitzchak, he's so distant from his body, I know he's never going to sin again, and therefore I could already identify my name with Yitzchak. So far so good. Then if we're saying that you can't have a relationship if you can't see it, how can we have one with Hashem? That's exactly what I wanted to get to. So thank you so much for that segue. Perfect. You really took us into the next chapter of this. This is a pasuk that we all know, probably because it's a song. It's a pasuk from Tehillim, chapter 92, verse three. La hagid b'bocher chasdecha ve'emunascha b'leilos. We declare Hashem's kindness In the morning We declare Hashem's kindness. When do we have faith in Hashem? At night. In the day. One second. In the day. I'm sure it was brilliant. Let me just get it out. Just for me, because I have ADHD, so I have to keep the flow.

19:40 In the day, what do you see? How do you relate to yourself in the daytime? I could see it. I could see myself in the daytime. At night, what do I have trouble seeing? Myself. I have trouble seeing myself. So far, so good. So there's two motifs. There are two movements. One movement is the daytime where I'm deeply connected to my body. What happens at night when I'm not deeply connected to my body? What am I connected to now? Not your eyes to her, because that's exactly the opposite. It's going to be okay. I'm sorry for embarrassing you. When you're because in the daytime I'm connected to my body But at the night in the nighttime, what am I connected to? I'm connected to my soul. Here's the thing about sight. You can become sight addicted. In fact, I would say everybody in this room, on some level, is sight addicted.

20:48 Do you know what it means to be sight addicted? TikTok. Who said TikTok? I think that's a superb example. Why did you say that? Because you just get addicted to the images and the flashing colors. So that's a perfect example. Because when you're reading a book, what's the value of reading a book? The imagination. Right. When you're reading a book, what do you end up doing? By the way, did anyone here ever lose themselves to a book? I'm a real reader. I love reading. I'm a nerd. I love reading. I think reading is cool. I grew up. My father used to make sure that we read at least one or two books a week. My mother would take us to the library. He said, if you want to become something in life, you got to read. So from the time I was very little, you read. Reading is awesome for children because they have to imagine. Cartoons, even though it's reading, are less good because what are they doing? You're seeing the pictures in front of them. TikTok, right? Less good than that because there's nothing to your imagination. You're not soulful when you see something.

21:45 So you're most soulful in the dark. Here's a good way of thinking about it. When do you recognize Hashem's oneness? Every day you say Kriyat Shema twice a day. What do you do? You say Shma Israel, Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad. You close your eyes. Why do you close your eyes? Because if I look at it, I'm not actually seeing it. Let me tease this out for one more second. Here's a way of thinking about it. Am I really connecting to somebody when I see them, or am I distracted by them? I'll give an example. Sometimes you can see someone. I'm gonna use an example. I'm sure it's not relevant to anybody here, but you'll come along with me for the ride. You ever see somebody? You go like, "Wow, he's very good looking." And then he opens his mouth. Yeah. Okay. That's what I value about sharpmen. It's the honesty and authenticity. Lechaim.

22:55 I thought he was strong. I thought the two ladies like. I'm not sure we need all the details, but I appreciate. Start now. I have. Sight can take us away from something real. I see the external, and I don't necessarily see what's going on inside. So I can become addicted to sight. And I will lack emuna. Emuna is the ability to perceive something beyond its physical appearance. So lahadid, and Muna is the ability to see something beyond its physical appearance. So when I see something and I'm in a relationship, let's say with this water bottle, I might come to think that this water bottle is just a water bottle. But if I closed my eyes, so to speak, and I was soulful about this water bottle, I would start. For any Labavitches in the room, you'll appreciate this. I would start to say. What did Hashem create this water bottle for And how can I build for Hashem a dwelling place in the world down below by using this water bottle?

24:12 You're a B'tachtonim. Are you? Are you? You from the tribe? Born and raised. I'm kidding. No. I understand. It's okay. You don't have to. In other words, if I'm sight addicted. I would fail to be soulful about the water bottle. So far, so good. Are you ready for a big punchline now? This is gonna be hard. I see some of you really working hard to stay with me on this, and I appreciate it. Actually, I think most of you are working hard to stay. So I appreciate it. When God creates the world in the beginning, the light and the darkness were one thing. Which means what? That was your question, right? Which means what? Let's think now about it deeply. It used to be in the very beginning of creation that I could see something and not see something at the very same time. In other words, it used to be that I could look at this water bottle and see it as a water bottle and relate to it as a water bottle, but I would also have the darkness of this water bottle, which means I would relate to it beyond physical sight.

25:25 And therefore, I wouldn't look at the water bottle. I would look at its purpose. I would look at its soulfulness. That was how it was in the beginning of creation. God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. And then, what's the next thing? God says, "The light is good." Let me play the point out. Because there's going to be a question you're going to ask. The light is good, which means what? It's good to see this. How? Not soulfully. That puzzled look is exactly what I was looking for, and that's your question, right? Because if God says it's good to see this, and not just the amuna of the night, it's good to actually see it as it is, which means it exists almost without any purpose, as its own existence. How in the world could that be good? Right? That's your question. That's your question.

26:18 So alpi chasidus, this is how we would answer that question. Because God desires that the world appear to be its own existence. The distance between me and this thing is good. Because then I get to bridge the gap. In other words, looking at the world, and this is a very deep concept. If you don't get it right away, that's okay. Looking at the world, and you go, if I could see Hashem in everything Then do I have bechira? Am I me? If I look at this table and I go, I can see the godliness in this table. What am I going to do with the table now? I'm only going to act with the table in a godly way. I'll give you an example of this. Let's say I have a vacuum cleaner. Why do I not take the vacuum cleaner and use it as a baseball bat?

27:13 It's because the usage of it is so obviously not for a baseball bat. The usage of a vacuum cleaner is to vacuum. The usage of a baseball bat is to hit a ball. How come I don't take the vacuum cleaner and use it as a baseball bat? Because it would be ridiculous. I know it so clearly, I would never be able to use the vacuum cleaner as a baseball bat. If I would see Hashem in everything, if I would always have that combination of I can see it physically and I could also see it soulfully There would be no purpose to this world. So what does God do? He says, "I need to make a period where you're sight addicted" So there's a period where you're soulful. And therefore, God says there's two periods; they're not one and the same. The daytime and the night are two separate things. What happens in the times of Mashiach?

28:04 The light goes back to its original state. The darkness itself, Chassidus teaches us, becomes the light. Meaning, I'm so sight addicted, and I think this water bottle is something that's not soulful. It's just a water bottle, and yet, what happens in the times of Mashiach? That vision, that darkness that comes from vision. Because I'm so sight addicted, I don't see its soulfulness. What happens? I realize now that light was good. What was good about the light? It gave me the opportunity not just to see it, but to choose to be soulful about it, even in the light, even when it appears to be just this thing. How many people understood what I just said? That's not bad. Five, seven. Can I say it again? I want to say it again because I want to make sure you get it. Can I use the example of a relationship?

29:00 Why is it good to have distance between you and your spouse in a relationship? What's the value of distance? Why is it sometimes that things don't always go well in a marriage? Not just appreciation Because that's like absence makes the heart grow fonder. Let's make it like even deeper, right? Let's say you get into a fight with your husband. What's the value of the fight? And I could choose to be what's called. I could choose, even in the moments where I feel so distant from you I could choose, even when I'm sight addicted in that moment. You are something other than me. What can I choose to be? I could choose to be loyal, faithful, and I could choose to bridge the gap. As long as I see the water bottle, and I'm me. That's what it means. Sight means I'm in a relationship with this thing, but it's a water bottle and I'm me, and I'm only looking at it physically. Remember, that's why we said it's uncomfortable when someone stares at us.

29:51 It should be uncomfortable because you're looking at me like I'm an object. Why are you looking at me like an object? I don't want to be looked at like an object because I'm a person. I'm not doing this. What I'm about to do, I'm not doing. I hope you can hear me deeper. I'm not doing the thing that I'm about to do because I know that it's deeply triggering. I'm not going to do the thing that I'm about to do, which means I'm about to do it. I'm not going to do it. You ready for it? That's what modesty is. I'm not using the word sneeze. I know it's a trigger word. Modesty means I want you to see me as deeper than my physical being. I want you to see me. You understand? So when I look at something and I'm sight addicted, it's uncomfortable because I'm not looking at the essence of the thing. I'm just looking at its object. And I'm in a relationship with this water bottle, just as something I'm going to drink out of. I'm not going to make a bracha on the water bottle. Why would I make a bracha on the water bottle? It's just a water bottle.

30:38 What does my soul tell me when I'm engaging with a water bottle? If I can't see it because I'm not sight addicted, my soul tells me to make a bracha on it. So what's the value then of sight? Maybe we should all be blind. What's the answer? Because as long as I'm seeing it, what am I? I'm distant from it. And that's good because if I'm distant from it, what can I do now? I can choose to be soulful about it. That's a good thing. That's a good thing because I can choose to be soulful about it. Somebody asked me before, 'How can I be in a relationship with Hashem? I can't see Him.' What's the answer to that question? How could you be in a relationship with God if you could see Him? It's difficult for me to be in a relationship with people because I can see them. Does that make sense? That's why they have these television shows where it's a blind date What do they not see? You don't see the person. What's the value of that?

31:31 I can actually get to meet you. And that's why sometimes people's physical nature even changes after you. That's exactly right. Because if I'm not interested in connecting to you externally, and now I'm interested in connecting to you internally, now when it's appropriate, then I don't have to be shomer neged. But until that point, that's just like skin touching skin. That's not a deep relationship, and I only want to be in relationships that value who I am. Not my protoplasm, right? So I choose to be modest. I choose to be dignified, not because I'm hiding myself, but because I'm revealing actually me. I don't want you to be obsessed with me in sight. I want you to have emuna. Protecting yourself. But again, I want to push back a little on that because I don't want to think about it as I'm protecting myself from you as a predator.

32:20 I'm inviting certain people to connect to me deeply, and only certain people to connect to me deeply. That's why I'm very focused on who I'm in a relationship with. Does that make sense? If I could see God, that's idolatry. By the way, that's why people worship idols, because what do they want? Physical things. I want physical things. That's why, again, we said it before. Somebody could open up their mouth, and you're like, ooh, that's not attractive. The opposite is also true. Somebody who at first wasn't attractive could become attractive when you actually get to meet them. That's why when you meet, like in the beginning, you're like, no, nothing would ever happen between me and that guy. We're platonic friends. We're like family. Nothing could ever happen. And then six months later, you come back and you're like, "When did he become Ross?" You shouldn't know that.

33:07 That's my time. There's no reason for you to know that. Because over time, if somebody's a really good guy and I actually meet them Not just their personality, but all of them, their essence, their soulfulness. There's a deep connection. All of a sudden, the vision changes. The emunah shabalelos becomes vayhiar. The light and the darkness once again merge, and the darkness now reveals itself for what it always was, which was light. So Hashem has to separate the light in order for us to appreciate the light, in order for us to appreciate the darkness. It's two separate periods, but beze Hashem, the times of Mashiach will become one. Girls have a beautiful Shabbos.